TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Down 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday night, Mississippi State had given up a 3-2 lead two innings before.
Pitching struggles that had plagued the Bulldogs weren’t as prevalent in their series finale against Alabama, but one missed pitch and a big swing from Drew Williamson put them behind.
In a flash, a solo homer from Ross Highfill and a RBI double from Dakota Jordan put Mississippi State back in the driver’s seat and the Bulldogs didn’t let up, taking down the Crimson Tide, 8-4, for their first Southeastern Conference series win of the season.
Late-innings magic has aided the Bulldogs (19-14, 3-9 SEC) before in 2023 and it did once again on Saturday as Mississippi State scored five unanswered runs on Alabama (23-10, 4-8 SEC) pitching from the seventh inning on.
The Bulldogs hit three homers in the win, two in the final three innings of play. Up 5-4 in the eighth, Kellum Clark put the exclamation point on a series victory with a 383-foot, two-run homer onto the right field berm.
Mississippi State pitching carried the freight despite a shaky start from Landon Gartman. He let up four runs, two earned, in 4.2 innings of work after giving up the two-run homer to Williamson.
His control didn’t aid him much, walking three in his outing, but following him, the Bulldogs finished the game throwing 4.1 innings of four-hit scoreless ball.
Nate Dohm, having been converted into the Sunday starter for Mississippi State, pitched a gem out of the pen. He finished the job, tossing four shutout innings, striking out two as Alabama’s bats went silent.
The momentum swing once the Bulldogs got control on the mound was simultaneous and much-needed for a team that had lost six-straight conference series, a streak that began in Columbia, Missouri against the Tigers from April 29 – May 1, 2022.
Hunter Hines continued a strong offensive season with his 13th homer of the year, a two-run shot in the first inning. His 43 RBIs lead the Bulldogs and rank among the top-10 in the SEC and the country.
This is uncharted territory for the Bulldogs, heading into the week with a conference series win under their belts, but it came at the right time with arguably the biggest series of the season upcoming.
Mississippi State returns to the diamond at 6 p.m. Tuesday, traveling to play UAB before Super Bulldog Weekend and a three-game set with the reigning national champions, Ole Miss, begins at 6 p.m. Friday.
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