MSU Baseball Falls To Auburn, Continues Scoring Drought

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – Mississippi State had chances but could not cash in Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs suffered their third straight shutout, falling 4-0 to Auburn in the middle game of a Southeastern Conference series at Dudy Noble Field.

With the win, Auburn clinched its first weekend series win against MSU since 2009. The Tigers are now 17-10 overall and 3-5 in league play, while the Bulldogs are 18-11 and 2-6.

“The kids are pressing too much,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “We are trying way too hard to do some of the simple things. We need to relax and play baseball. Right now, it’s just not happening for us. Hopefully, we can work through this difficult stretch.

“I’m not disappointed at how we are pitching or how we are defending the field. We just have to find a way to help these guys.”

MSU has not scored in 28 straight innings and were shutout in a third straight game for the first time since suffering the same fate in one game against Alabama and two games against LSU in 1975.

“It is not as much about scoring runs right now as much as the fact that we aren’t even having competitive at-bats,” Cohen said. “That is what is disappointing. We have to put pressure on the other team and we aren’t doing that right now. We have to find a way to have some better at-bats.”

Auburn sophomore right-hander Keegan Thompson (5-2) threw a season-best eight innings, allowing four hits, with five strikeouts and a walk. Justin Camp retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

For MSU, Austin Sexton (3-2) took the loss. Sexton allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), with four strikeouts and two walks. Ross Mitchell completed the contest, also allowing five hits and the Tigers’ final run.

Auburn scored three times in the fifth inning and once more in the eighth inning.

Anfernee Grier had the big hit in the fifth inning with a one-out, two-run single. A Bulldog error and wild pitch helped get the other run home. Mitchell entered and got a double play ball to snuff that threat.

An RBI-single by Blake Logan capped the game’s scoring in the eighth inning.

MSU threatened early. Cody Brown began the game with a single and Gavin Collins reached on a fielder’s choice. However, Brown was later retired on a play at the plate. In the fourth inning,Ryan Gridley doubled but was thrown out trying to score on a double by John Holland.

Grier, Cody Nulph and Damon Haecker each had multiple hits for the Tigers, while no Bulldogs had more than one hit.

The series finale is at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.