AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn lost the series finale against No. 4 Mississippi State, 19-10, Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
The Tigers surrendered 10 runs on eight hits in the first inning and never recovered despite scoring 10 runs on 11 hits in the ballgame.
"Yeah, that wound up being the ballgame there," head coach Butch Thompson said of the first inning. "This is one of those moments you just empty it out and hopefully get to a point of understanding of what we actually have to continue to do to move forward and the adjustments and what the game has taught us."
Ryan Bliss and Bryson Ware both his two-run home runs and Kason Howell added a solo homer for Auburn. Brody Moore turned in a team-high three hits, including a double.
Mississippi State (24-7 8-4 SEC) scored 10 runs on seven singles, a triple, two walks and a hit-by-pitch to start the game and never looked back.
Auburn (12-16, 1-11 SEC) started to chip away as Tyler Miller and Moore each drove in a run in the bottom of the first and Ryan Bliss hit a two-run homer in the second, but Mississippi State got two runs back in the third to make it a 12-4 game.
The Tigers threatened by loading the bases with nobody out in the third but failed to score a run after an infield fly and pair of strikeouts.
The Bulldogs extended the lead to 16-4 with two runs in the fifth and sixth, and Howell hit his third home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth.
The two teams traded three runs in the eighth inning with Josh Hall hitting a sacrifice fly and Brayton Brown adding a two-run single to left.
Ware hit a two-run homer to finish things off in the ninth. It was Ware's second home run of the series.
Will Morrison pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, and Peyton Glavine tossed a 1-2-3 ninth.
Auburn returns to action with a trip to Georgia Tech Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT.
Auburn falls to No. 4 Mississippi State in finale
