Mississippi State's baseball squad saw its run in the SEC Tournament come to an abrupt end on Thursday night, falling 5-3 to the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals held in Hoover, Alabama.
Despite out-hitting the Bulldogs 9-? they managed only three runs, the Bulldogs capitalized on timely hitting, with Hudson's blast in the fourth inning shifting momentum. Earlier, Chone James drove in the first run with an RBI single in the third, Ace Reese added a run with a single in the sixth, and Noah Sullivan launched a home run to lead off the ninth.
A Late-Inning Decider
Starting pitcher Duke Stone opened the game with promise but struggled to contain Georgia's lineup, surrendering four runs over three and one‑third innings, including Hudson's game‑changing homer. The Bulldogs' relief corps proved resilient, limiting further damage and keeping the contest within reach.
Out of the bullpen, Joey Volchko, Kevin Milewski, Andrew Raymond, Dane Burns, Jack Bauer, Maddox Webb, Tyler Pitzer, Ben Davis, and Sam Sklar combined to allow just one run across the tournament, underscoring the staff's reliability despite the final score.
The loss leaves Mississippi State with a 1-1 record in the SEC Tournament, but the team now turns its attention to the NCAA Tournament. The program is slated to host a regional, a prospect that has the campus buzzing as they await the bracket reveal on May 25.
In the semifinals, Georgia will meet the winner of the No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Florida clash, scheduled for May 23 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, adding another layer of intrigue to the bracket and setting the stage for future matchups.