STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 17 Auburn fought back in the late innings but ultimately fell to Mississippi State, 9-5, in a game that went into two weather delays Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.
Trailing 9-1 entering the eighth inning, Auburn put its first six batters aboard to cut the deficit to five with the bases loaded and nobody out. The Tigers added another run on an infield single to make it 9-5 with the bases loaded and one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the rally and the scoring in the game.
"The last three weekends we have been good on that third game, and we will need to be tomorrow," Thompson said. "We need to get something out of this series and come out here ready to fight."
After an initial delay of more than 90 minutes, Mississippi State jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the first. A single and double put two runners in scoring position with one out, and the Bulldogs drove both runners in on a sacrifice fly to center and single to right.
Auburn threatened with a hit-by-pitch, single and walk with two outs in the third but left the bases loaded in the frame. The Tigers then went in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Trace Bright held Mississippi State scoreless in the second through fifth innings and matched a career best with his eighth strikeout to start the sixth. However, three straight batters reached on a pair of walks and a single to load the bases and run Bright from the game. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 4-0 with a two-RBI double.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the seventh. Bobby Peirce hustled out a fielder's choice before moving up two bases on an error and scoring on a sacrifice fly from Cole Foster.
Mississippi State added to the advantage with a pair of homers, a three-run shot and two-run shot, to make it 9-1 in the seventh.
Auburn continued to battle, putting together the aforementioned eighth-inning rally. Kason Howell and Sonny DiChiara drove in runs on RBI singles to start the scoring in the frame. Brooks Carlson walked before Brody Moore drove in another on a single to right. However, three of the next four batters struck out with Foster adding an RBI infield single in the middle.
The game went into a second delay of approximately 45 minutes before Konner Copeland ended Mississippi State's eighth inning with a strikeout. Auburn sent the top of the lineup to the plate in the ninth, but a double play followed a one-out single to end the game.
The series finale between the Tigers and Bulldogs is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.