HOOVER, Ala. — No. 16 Mississippi State came up short against top-seeded Georgia in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday at Hoover Met. Georgia won 5-3, holding off a late rally by the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State out-hit Georgia 9-8 and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning. However, they could not complete the comeback after falling behind by three runs in the middle of the game.
Georgia scored first, but Mississippi State responded in the third. Ryder Woodson doubled and Chone James drove in a run to tie the game at 1. Georgia broke the tie in the fourth. Rylan Lujo and Ryan Wynn singled before Brennan Hudson hit a three-run homer to give Georgia a 4-1 lead. Georgia added another run in the seventh, and MSU scored once in the ninth on Noah Sullivan’s solo homer. Sullivan finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Georgia’s Joey Volchko earned the win, allowing two runs over five innings. Jack Bauer and Matt Scott pitched in relief, with Scott earning the save. Duke Stone took the loss for Mississippi State, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings. Pitzer closed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Mississippi State, now 40-17, awaits postseason announcements. The NCAA Regional sites will be revealed Sunday at 7:30 p.m., with the NCAA Tournament Selection Show scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
