STARKVILLE, Miss. - The No. 18 Auburn Tigers fell in their series finale against the No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs 7-4 Monday at Nusz Park behind a seven-run fourth inning by the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs swept the Tigers behind a seven-run fourth inning in the series finale, including a go-ahead grand slam by Nadia Barbary that banged off the scoreboard in left field. The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the early going, including three RBIs by freshman Kylie Brockman as the Tigers seemed to seize total control. However, the Tigers suffered a complete collapse in the bottom of the fourth that included a hit by Morgan Stiles that was booted by centerfielder Abby Smith, allowing three runs to score and opening the flood gates that led to Barbary’s knockout punch.
The Tigers' bats went cold in the final three frames, as they amassed just one hit and struck out six times to close this one out. Sophomore ChaLea Clemmons took home the loss, giving up three earned runs without recording an out to move her record to 4-2 on the season.
With the Bulldogs' sweep of the Tigers, they have improved to 22-3 overall and 3-0 in SEC play. The Tigers on the other hand have fallen to 0-3 in SEC play, and will undoubtedly have an uphill climb the rest of the season. Head Coaches Chris and Kate Malveaux will look to regroup with their players and right the ship as conference play progresses.
The Tigers will have a quick turnaround as they travel to Atlanta on Wednesday to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before returning home for a series with Texas A&M. First pitch between the Tigers and Yellow Jackets is set for 6 p.m. EST (5 p.m. CST) and will be broadcast on the ACC network and WEGL 91.1 FM.
