Starkville, MS- Another day, another walk-off win. This time, Tanner Leggett delivered, giving Mississippi State an 8-7 win over Alabama.
Parker Stinnett had a bounce-back performance after a rough outing at Georiga last week. In his first five innings of work, the Oxford native was on his A-Game, allowing just one hit and striking out seven batters.
Alabama starter Jacob McNairy shut the Bulldogs down for the three innings, but Luke Hancock got to him in the fourth with a 2-run shot down the right-field line.
Hancock was moved down to the six spot after spending the past few series batting third. "Some guys if I move them, I have to go talk to him, but Luke Hancock just wants to play and win," said Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Lemonis.
In the sixth inning, the Alabama offense finally broke through, stringing together four hits, and an RBI single by catcher Dominic Tamez put the Tide up 3-2. Freshman Pico Kohn relieved Stinnett with two outs, and he hit Alabama 1st baseman Drew Williamson with a pitch, but he would be ruled out as he leaned into the pitch.
Alabama turned to righty Jake Leger, and R.J. Yeager tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single, but Alabama would get the run back as Pico Kohn hung a curveball to right fielder Andrew Pinckney who took it deep dead center.
Hard-throwing lefty Hunter Furtado came in to pitch the eighth for the Tide, and Hunter Hines would get aboard with a one-out single. Speedy outfielder Brayland Skinner would pinch run for Hines and would get to third on a grounder by Luke Hancock that the 2nd baseman misplayed. With R.J. Yeager at the plate, Furtado would throw one in the dirt, and Skinner would score the tying run.
The Bulldogs brought in sophomore Jackson Fristoe to pitch the ninth, and the Crimson Tide bats had no trouble with the 95 MPH fastball. Alabama manufactured four hits off of Fristoe, with doubles by Andrew Pinckney, Caden Rose, and Tommy Seidl to put them up 7-4.
Down three, the Bulldogs showed their mental toughness, as back-to-back doubles by Kamren James and Kellum Clark started a ninth-inning rally. Logan Tanner then worked a full count, and Furtado would leave a fastball over the middle for the junior catcher to drive over the left-field wall to tie it up.
With no outs in a tie game, it was a brand new ballgame, and Alabama would bring in righty Hunter Hoopes. Luke Hancock worked a full count and drew a one-out walk, and Brad Cumbest followed with a single into left field. R.J. Yeager moved the runners on a grounder to the first baseman, setting up a clutch situation for Tanner Leggett. Leggett had come in as a defensive replacement as Forsythe had been pinch-hit for by Von Seibert an inning prior, and in his first at-bat of the ballgame, he smacked a single into right field to walk it off for the Bulldogs.
"Coach (Jake) Gautreau told me we just need a short, hard-hit ball," said Leggett. "I got the swing I was looking for and put a good swing on it.
Leggett was no stranger to the situation, as he had delivered a walk-off hit in the College World Series against Texas to send the Bulldogs to the Championship Series last season.
After Yeager's walk-off homer yesterday, it gives the Bulldogs back-to-back walk-off wins, and a series victory over Alabama. Cade Smith will take the mound looking for the sweep.
