Mississippi State baseball secures series win over Alabama with 8-7 walk-off win

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, including a run on a walk-off RBI single by senior Tanner Leggett, to win its second straight walk-off win over Alabama on Saturday at Dudy Noble Field.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 15-9 (3-2) and secure a series win over the Crimson Tide (13-11, 1-4 SEC).

Hits were 14-10 in favor of MSU, with junior Kamren James leading the way with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a run scored. Senior Brad Cumbest was 2-for-5, while junior Logan Tanner and senior Luke Hancock each recorded two RBIs and two runs on one hit.

The Crimson Tide was led by senior Tommy Seidl with two hits, two RBIs and one run, while redshirt sophomore Andrew Pinckney recorded two hits, two runs and one RBI and junior Zane Denton recorded two hits, one RBI and one run.

Senior Parker Stinnett got the start on the mound for the Bulldogs and tossed 5 ²⁄₃ innings, allowing three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Freshman Pico Kohn then allowed one run on one hit with one strikeout and one walk in 2 ¹⁄₃ innings of relief pitching. Sophomore Jackson Fristoe (2-2) earned the win for MSU after pitching the ninth inning.

Senior Jacob McNairy started for the Crimson Tide and pitched five innings. He allowed two runs on six hits with a career-high seven strikeouts and no walks. Senior Hunter Hoopes (0-1) suffered the loss.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead. Tanner was hit by a pitch and Hancock hit a two-run home run down the right-field line.

In the top of the sixth inning, junior Jim Jarvis reached first base on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Seidl’s RBI single plated Jarvis before Seidl scored on Denton’s RBI double to right-center field. Alabama’s third run of the inning came on an RBI single by junior Dominic Tamez to give the Crimson Tide a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, freshman Hunter Hines reached on a fielding error and Hancock was hit by a pitch. After a flyout, graduate student RJ Yeager hit an RBI single up the middle to knot the game at 3-3.

Pinckney hit a leadoff home run to center field to give Alabama a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Hines hit a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning and senior Brayland Skinner entered to pinch run for him. Skinner advance to third base after Hancock reached first on a fielding error. Skinner ended up scoring the tying run on a wild pitch.

The Crimson Tide then struck for three runs in the top of the ninth inning. Pinckney led off with a double to right-center and scored on sophomore Caden Rose’s one-out double down the right-field line. Jarvis plated him with a single up the middle and Seidl scored Jarvis with a double to right-center to give Alabama a 7-4 lead.

James and sophomore Kellum Clark hit back-to-back doubles to draw within two runs before Tanner’s home run to left field tied the game at 7-7. After a groundout, Hancock drew a walk. Cumbest then singled and both runners moved up on a groundout. Leggett then followed with a single down the left-field line to give the MSU an 8-7 walk-off win.

The Bulldogs will look to complete the series sweep Sunday at 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network.