Mississippi State Baseball Drops Rubber Match to No. 18 Texas A&M

STARKVILLE, Miss. – After taking game two 11-6 on Saturday, the Diamond Dawgs dropped the Southeastern Conference series finale 7-4 to Texas A&M Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

MSU dropped to 24-21 (9-12 SEC), while Texas A&M improved to 32-12 (11-10 SEC).

The Aggies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Will Frizzell singled and scored Braden Shewmake, but the Dawgs quickly answered with a home run from Hunter Stovall to tie the game and took the lead in the frame after Marshall Gilbert hit a single and scored on an error.

Texas A&M regained the lead for good in the top of the third inning with three runs making it a 4-2 ballgame. The first run came after Cole Bedford singled and a run came across on a Diamond Dawg error. Zach DeLoach then singled and scored Bedford before coming across home himself on another Dawg error.

In the home half of the third, Rowdey Jordan hit a leadoff double. Following a strikeout, Tanner Allen drew a walk. After a flyout, Justin Foscue hit an an RBI-single to draw within one run and made it a 4-3 score.

The score would remain the same until the seventh inning when the Aggies added another run to their lead after Allonte Wingate singled. He later scored when Hunter Coleman singled and advanced to second on a balk, which scored Wingate.

The Aggies increased the lead again in the next inning as they scored two runs and pushed the lead to 7-3. Chandler Morris double, which scored DeLoach and Michael Helman singled to score Morris.

The Dawgs added a run in the ninth inning when Luke Alexander’s groundout plated Jake Mangum, but the Aggies took the game and the series 7-4.

State’s offense was good for 13 hits, led by Jordan and Gilbert with thee each, but the Dawgs stranded 10 base runners and were hurt by four errors.

The Aggies had 14 hits, led by DeLoach, who recorded four hits in the game.

Jacob Billingsley (3-3) pitched just three innings and was charged with the loss. He allowed four runs, all earned, on six hits. He had two strikeouts and two walks.

JP France pitched a solid 4.2 innings in relief, allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits to go along with seven strikeouts. Kale Breaux and Cole Gordon also pitched in relief. Gordon pitched 1.1 innings of and allowed just one hit.

Stephen Kolek (4-4) earned the win for the Aggies. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits. He had one strikeout and two walks.

Nolan Hoffman earned his ninth save of the year.

State will take the week off for final exams, but will return to the Diamond next weekend for a three-game SEC series at Alabama. The series will begin Friday at 6 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa.