Mississippi State Baseball falls to Alabama 4-1 in SEC action

One swing, and then silence.

Gehrig Frei’s leadoff home run gave Mississippi State fans a flash of hope Saturday afternoon, but it was the only spark in an otherwise quiet day for the Bulldogs at the plate. Mississippi State dropped Game 2 of its SEC series to Alabama, 4-1, despite tallying nine hits and several scoring chances. With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 21-14 overall and 4-10 in SEC play, setting up a decisive rubber match on Sunday.

Mississippi State matched Alabama with nine hits, but left eight runners on base — a stat that ultimately told the story. Despite multiple runners in scoring position, the Bulldogs failed to deliver the timely hits they needed. Frei’s solo blast in the first was the only run MSU could push across. After that, Alabama’s pitching clamped down.

Alabama right-hander Riley Quick turned in the best outing of his season. After allowing Frei’s homer on just his fourth pitch, Quick regrouped and mowed down the Bulldogs. He struck out seven across a season-high 5 1/3 innings, allowing just six hits and one run. “That’s as good as I think you can throw the baseball,” Crimson Tide head coach Rob Vaughn said postgame.

Evan Siary and Ben Davis each pitched four innings for MSU, combining to allow four earned runs. It wasn’t dominant, but it was enough to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance — if only the bats had come alive. The lack of clutch hitting once again loomed large as the Bulldogs dropped their fifth SEC series-opening Game 2 of the season.

Mississippi State will try to bounce back Sunday and salvage the series. With the SEC slate nearing its midpoint and postseason hopes still flickering, the Bulldogs must find consistency — especially at the plate — to stay relevant in a crowded conference race.

Failure to adjust quickly could mean more than just another series loss. It could be the moment the season starts slipping away.