Video: Mississippi State Falls in SBW Series Opener vs. Texas A&M

April 15, 2016

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – A big ninth inning by the No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team put a damper on the opening night of Super Bulldog Weekend.

After closing within a run, No. 8 Mississippi State allowed a six-run ninth inning, falling 10-3 in Southeastern Conference action before a crowd of 10,032 – the 40^th time in program history for 10K or better at Dudy Noble Field.

For MSU to win its fifth straight SEC series, it will have to repeat last week’s performance at No. 1 Florida. In that series, the Bulldogs lost the opener but won the final two.

MSU fell to 24-10-1 and 8-5 in league play, while Texas A&M moved to 27-7 and 8-5. The teams are tied for the SEC Western Division lead.

“We had some young people on the mound and that made it tough,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “It’s frustrating because we thought we had some good matchups. They are the best offensive team in the league. You just have to pitch to them.

(Photo Courtesy: Kelly Price, MSU Athletics)

“We hung in there and battled. You can’t hit people and walk people. We did late and that hurt us.”

After MSU closed within 4-3, Nick Banks delivered the big blow with a grand slam for the Aggies. Banks finished with three hits, including a pair of doubles.

Texas A&M scored in the top half of the first inning but MSU answered. Jake Mangum singled, advanced on a hit by Nathaniel Lowe and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gavin Collins.

Cody Brown and Mangum had hits in the second inning. The Bulldogs grabbed a 2-1 lead on a wild pitch.

Texas A&M then grabbed a 3-2 lead on a two-run home run by Hunter Melton in the fourth inning. The Aggies ran the lead to 4-2 an inning later.

The Bulldogs then found something in the eighth inning, beginning with a Reid Humphreys’ single. Cody Brown was later hit by a pitch and Brent Rooker followed with an RBI-single. Brown was stranded at third base but the Bulldogs had pulled within one.

A difficult ninth inning for MSU then followed. The Aggies had a hit batsman, infield hit and fielder’s choice sacrifice to load the bases. A bases-loaded hit batsman preceded Banks’ blast.

MSU collected 10 hits. Mangum had three of the 10, while Lowe and Rooker each had two hits.

Texas A&M finished with 13 hits. Melton joined Banks with three hits. Boomer White and Joel Davis each had two hits. Starting pitcher Brigham Hill (5-0) went 6.2 innings to earn the win.

Dakota Hudson (4-3) pitched seven innings for the Bulldogs, allowing 10 hits and four runs (all earned) with one walk and eight strikeouts. Daniel Brown, Ethan Small, Vance Tatum and Blake Smith followed in relief, with Tatum being touched for the grand slam.

The series resumes at 2 p.m. Saturday.