Starkville, MS- Trying for the sweep, the Mississippi State bats were quiet in a 6-2 loss to Alabama.

Mississippi State got on the board early as Logan Tanner drove in a run on an RBI double in the first inning, but Alabama starter Grayson Hitt shut them down after that. Through the next five innings, the lefty from Germantown, TN allowed just three hits and no runs.

"He had success with that breaking ball," said Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Lemonis.

Sophomore Cade Smith started out hot for State, retiring the Alabama side in the first inning, but the Tide bats got to him in the second. The designated hitter Owen Diodati led off with a walk, and singles from 2nd baseman Bryce Eblin and 1st baseman Drew Williamson tied the game up at 1-1.

The Tide got to him again in the fourth as Bryce Eblin smoked in an RBI double to the right-center gap. A solo homer by Drew Williamson in a full count during the sixth but Alabama up 3-1.

Alabama brought in Antoine Jean, a lefty from Montreal, to pitch the seventh, and State quickly got some baserunners with singles by Lane Forsythe and Matt Corder. Kamren James then reached on an error to load the bases with two outs, and Luke Hancock got hit by a pitch to cut the lead to 3-2. That was all the Bulldogs got, though, as Logan Tanner struck out looking on a backdoor curveball.

Brooks Auger relieved Smith and threw two shutout innings in the seventh and eighth but walked a hitter in the ninth and would be taken out with one out. Lefty Cam Tullar came in, and after a walk and two hits, Alabama had taken a 5-2 lead. State then turned sophomore Jackson Fristoe, and an RBI single by Dominic Tamez put Alabama up 6-2.

The Bulldogs took won the series, but the loss on Sunday puts them at 3-3, tied for 2nd in the SEC West. Mississippi State will travel to Memphis for a midweek game on Tuesday before heading to Fayetteville for a series with Arkansas over the weekend.