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Diamond Dawgs notch worst SEC start in school history with 7-3 loss to South Carolina

3rupauk8_400x400by:Robbie Faulk•04/04/25•

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Pico Kohn (Photo by Mississippi State Athletics)

Another Mississippi State loss came on Friday night and was yet another game that the Diamond Dawgs had self-inflicted wounds.

Tied at 3 in the sixth inning, State had two errors from Dylan Cupp with two outs that scored a couple of runs. The Bulldogs followed by having the bases loaded with one out and couldn’t score.

That inning would doom the Diamond Dawgs as they dropped game one of the series to South Carolina 7-3. The loss gave State (17-13, 1-9 SEC) its worst start in SEC play in school history.

While the script might have played out differently from some of the other losses, it joined the long list of games that State gave away. The Bulldogs continued to routinely beat themselves and Friday night’s loss came thanks to lackadaisical pitching and defense and a lack of production at the plate against one of the worst pitching staffs in the SEC.

The sixth inning sums up another State loss

State scored three runs in the first inning on a Hunter Hines two-run double and a two-out RBI single by Bryce Chance gave State a 3-1 lead. From there, the Bulldogs wouldn’t score another run. South Carolina would tie it up on a two-run home run in the fourth.

Ben Davis came into the ball game in the sixth inning and got State in trouble with a single, walk and two wild pitches with one out. Davis got a ground ball to Dylan Cupp with two outs to get out of the inning, but the short stop would bobble the ball and allow a run to score. Another grounder to Cupp was spiked into the ground at first and another scored for a 5-3 lead.

The bottom of the inning was State’s chance to get that bad top of the inning back. The Diamond Dawgs loaded up the bases with one out and then had a strikeout from Cupp and lineout from Gehrig Frei to end that threat.

State had another brutal inning late in the ninth inning to add insult to injury. After the Gamecocks got two in scoring position with two outs, a two RBI single up the middle by Beau Hollins would put the nail in State’s coffin.

The Bulldogs had just five hits against the Gamecocks and were the first team this season to score less than five runs in SEC play. Chance led the team with a 2-for-4 night and one RBI with a double and Hines had the two-run double himself, but the Bulldogs couldn’t score for eight-straight innings.

Pico Kohn started the game and lasted just 5.0 innings as he gave up six hits, three runs and three walks while striking out six. Davis (1-2) threw 4.0 innings, gave up four hits, four runs, three walks, two earned runs and struck out six.

The Bulldogs now try to stay alive in the series with a Saturday start and Evan Siary will be on the mound for State. The game was moved up from 2 p.m. to Noon due to pending weather.

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