Diamond Dawgs miss chance at Friday triumph over No. 5 Arkansas in 7-5 defeat
Arkansas has been the SEC’s best Friday night team all season long but Mississippi State had the No. 5 Razorbacks on the ropes.
Leading 5-4 in the eighth inning, the Bulldogs were on the verge of getting a massive Friday night win. Instead, closer Tyson Hardin gave up three runs in the inning. State missed a chance for a comeback in the ninth leaving the bases loaded in what would be a 7-5 defeat.
It was the sixth loss in SEC play for the Bulldogs by two runs or less with five of those coming with State holding the lead in the seventh inning or later. It dropped the No. 14 Bulldogs to 32-17 and 14-11 in SEC play.
The Bulldogs will be wanting the Friday game back for some time now as State handed the potential SEC Pitcher of the Year Hagen Smith his worst start in conference play. Smith was out of the game after 5.0 innings as he gave up four hits, three runs and four walks, though he struck out 11 batters.
It was the shortest stint in SEC play for Smith as he gave up the most runs he’s surrendered all conference season and tied his most runs surrendered this year in any game.
After State trailed 3-0 on three-run fourth off of starter Khal Stephen, the Bulldogs answered right back in the fifth with a three-run double from Hunter Hines. Arkansas got the lead back in the sixth with a solo home run, but the Bulldogs battled back and scratched across two runs on a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to get the lead in the eighth at 5-4.
Harding couldn’t keep that lead as he would be touched for four hits and a walk that would lead to three runs scored that handed the lead back. State got the first three runners on the base in the ninth but the bottom of the order would pop out twice and strikeout looking to end the game.
The Bulldogs left 13 runners on base and couldn’t take advantage of nine walks from the Razorbacks. 16 strikeouts would be the culprit with Dakota Jordan striking out three times and five other batters striking out twice. MSU had seven hits but only Hines drove in multiple runs.
In the loss, Stephen threw another impressive outing as he outlasted Smith with his 7.0 frames of six-hit ball. He gave up four runs but didn’t walk anyone and struck out six batters. Hardin (3-1) got his first loss of the season.
MSU will get back to work and try to get game two of the series against the Razorbacks on Saturday night at 6 p.m.
