STARKVILLE, Miss. — In a quintessential Southeastern Conference baseball showdown that kept a raucous crowd on the edge of its collective seat until the final pitch, the Auburn Tigers outlasted the Mississippi State Bulldogs 5-4 on Friday. Playing under the lights at Dudy Noble Field, both highly ranked programs battled fiercely to improve their standing in a tight late-season SEC race. The Tigers built an early four-run advantage, surrendered the lead late to a surging Bulldogs offense, and ultimately secured the hard-fought road victory with a clutch ninth-inning home run.
Following two scoreless innings defined by impressive starting pitching from both sides, Auburn drew first blood in the top of the third inning. Designated hitter Lucas Steele initiated the rally by working a walk against Mississippi State starting pitcher Duke Stone. Right fielder Mason McCraine followed with a sharply hit single to right field, advancing Steele into scoring position. After third baseman Eric Guevara drew a walk to load the bases, catcher Chase Fralick delivered a productive sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Steele to cross the plate for the game’s first run. Second baseman Chris Rembert kept the momentum going with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Mason McCraine to give the Tigers an early 2-0 advantage before first baseman Ethin Bingaman flied out to end the threat.
The Tigers doubled their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Mason McCraine led off with a single through the right side and advanced to second when Guevara was hit by a pitch. Fralick grounded out to second base, successfully advancing both runners. Rembert then grounded out to shortstop, trading an out for a run as Mason McCraine crossed the plate to make it 3-0. Ethin Bingaman followed with a crucial two-out RBI single up the middle, scoring Guevara and extending Auburn’s lead to a commanding 4-0.
Mississippi State’s high-powered offense finally awoke in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Third baseman Ace Reese sparked the rally with a double down the first-base line. After designated hitter Noah Sullivan and right fielder Jacob Parker struck out, first baseman Reed Stallman delivered a monumental swing. Facing a two-out scenario, Stallman crushed a two-run home run down the left-field line, scoring Reese and immediately halving the Auburn lead to 4-2.
The Bulldogs continued to methodically chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the seventh. Reese once again set the table, leading off with a double down the left-field line. Sullivan drew a walk, and after a strikeout by Parker, Stallman reached on a fielder’s choice that advanced Reese to third. Center fielder Bryce Chance came through in the clutch, roping an RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Reese, making it a tightly contested 4-3 game.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mississippi State completed its gritty comeback to tie the game. Catcher Kevin Milewski worked a leadoff walk and was advanced to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by shortstop Ryder Woodson. After second baseman Gehrig Frei grounded out to shortstop, Ace Reese delivered his fourth hit of the night—an RBI single to right field that easily scored Milewski, knotting the game at 4-4 and sending the home crowd into an absolute frenzy.
However, Auburn found the decisive answer in the top of the ninth inning. Facing Mississippi State veteran reliever Ben Davis, Chase Fralick launched a towering solo home run to right-center field. The dramatic blast gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead that their bullpen would fiercely protect in the bottom half of the frame, going down as the official game-winning hit.
Auburn’s offensive attack was spearheaded by catcher Chase Fralick, who finished 1-for-4 but recorded a game-high two RBIs, a sacrifice fly, and the heroic, game-winning solo home run in the top of the ninth inning. Mason McCraine was a constant menace at the top of the lineup, going an impressive 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Chris Rembert delivered a clutch 2-for-5 performance with two RBIs, while Ethin Bingaman added two hits of his own in five at-bats and drove in a run.
For Mississippi State, Ace Reese was virtually unstoppable at the plate. The third baseman turned in a phenomenal 4-for-5 night, tallying two doubles, two runs scored, and the game-tying RBI single in the eighth inning. Reed Stallman provided the heavy lifting early, finishing 1-for-4 with a pivotal two-run home run and two RBIs. Bryce Chance (1-for-4) added a crucial RBI single, while Noah Sullivan (1-for-4), Gehrig Frei (1-for-4), and Ryder Woodson (1-for-3) rounded out the offensive production for the Bulldogs. Left fielder Vytas Valincius finished the evening 1-for-4.
Both pitching staffs utilized a combination of starting efforts and long relief to navigate the tightly contested, high-stakes matchup. Auburn starting pitcher Andreas Alvarez delivered a solid outing, tossing 4.2 innings while allowing two earned runs on six hits. He struck out seven batters and walked two before handing the ball over to the bullpen. Reliever Jackson Sanders was outstanding in long relief for the Tigers, pitching the final 4.1 innings to secure the victory. Sanders allowed just two earned runs on four hits, striking out four batters and walking two, managing to limit the damage during Mississippi State’s late-game surges and shutting down the Bulldogs in the ninth.
Mississippi State starter Duke Stone battled through 4.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. He struck out seven batters and walked two before being replaced in the fifth inning. Maddox Miller provided essential stabilization out of the bullpen, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks, allowing just one hit. Ben Davis took over in the seventh inning and pitched the final 3.0 frames. Davis was incredibly sharp, striking out five batters without issuing a single walk, but he surrendered the decisive solo home run to Fralick in the ninth inning to take the hard-luck loss.
- Winning Pitcher: Jackson Sanders (4-1)
- Losing Pitcher: Ben Davis (0-2)
- Save: None
The Friday evening contest was played under partly cloudy skies with a comfortable temperature of 65 degrees and a south-southeast wind blowing at 5 mph. The first pitch was delivered at exactly 7:33 p.m. local time, and the grueling, back-and-forth battle lasted 3 hours and 14 minutes. The announced attendance at Dudy Noble Field was a staggering 13,772 fans. The officiating crew featured Justin Robinson at home plate, Ronnie Teague at first base, Chuck Pack at second base, and Eddie Newsom at third base.
With the victory, the Auburn Tigers improve their overall record to 34-15, carrying a 15-11 mark in SEC conference play. The Mississippi State Bulldogs fall to an overall record of 38-13, dropping to 15-11 in the SEC standings.
The two teams will conclude their pivotal weekend series with the series finale on Saturday, May 9. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time, and the game will be broadcast nationally on the SEC Network.
This was created with AI assistance, but edited for accuracy by the webmaster.