Video: No. 16 Mississippi State Baseball Drops Finale To Georgia

[syndicaster id=’6288998′]

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – No. 16 Mississippi State scored three times in the ninth inning but the rally was cut short there as the Maroon and White dropped an 11-8 decision to Georgia in a Southeastern Conference baseball game played Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

For a second straight weekend MSU won the first games of a conference series but could not complete the sweep. MSU fell to 17-7-1 overall and 4- 2 in league play, while Georgia moved to 15-10 and 2-4.

The four-hour, 52-minute game featured 22 walks, 25 base hits, two errors and 27 stranded base runners.

“We walked (10) batters and a lot of those were four-count walks,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “They had 12 walks. That is how you play a five-hour game. You just can’t be that sloppy on the mound. Our kids won’t make excuses. You have to make the other team beat you with swings.”

MSU starter Keegan James was lifted with two outs in the second inning. Blake Smith, Kale Breaux, Noah Hughes, Daniel Brown, Zac Houston and Vance Tatum followed in relief. Brown (2-2) walked five and struck out five in 3 2/3 innings of work.

MSU built a 2-1 lead in the third inning on an RBI-double by Nathaniel Lowe and an RBI-groundout by Reid Humphreys. A two-run double by Humphreys gave the Maroon and White a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning.

An RBI-single by Jacob Robson placed the Maroon and White on top 5-4 in the fifth inning.

After Georgia tied the contest in the sixth inning, it took the lead for good with three runs in the eighth inning with the go-ahead run scoring on a bases-loaded walk. Georgia then tagged the bullpen again for three more scores in the ninth inning.

In the ninth inning, a walk to Gavin Collins, single by Elih Marrero and walk to John Holland loaded the bases. Jake Mangum had an RBI-single. Robson drove in a run with a fielder’s choice. Brent Rooker then added a sacrifice-fly.

A called third strike then snuffed the rally.

MSU finished with 10 hits. Robson had four hits, while Lowe and Marrero each had two hits.

MSU and Southern Mississippi meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Trustmark Park in Pearl.