New Orleans, LA- Tulane edged out a 5-4 victory to take the series from Mississippi State. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 6-6 on the season.

The Tulane offense got the Bulldog starter, Cade Smith, early. Right fielder Ethan Groff who seemingly dominated the Bulldogs all weekend, led off with a single and two more singles by designated hitter Gavin Schulz and 1st baseman Brady Marget gave the Green Wave an early 1-0 lead.

The Green Wave struck again in the second inning as 2nd baseman Chase Engelhard led off with a double. After getting moved to third base on a groundout, Engelhard scored on a wild pitch by Cade Smith.

Tulane starter Michael Massey shut the Bulldogs out for the first four innings, but they finally got on the board in the fifth. Catcher Logan Tanner led off with a single, and freshman Aaron Downs hit a double. Walks from 2nd baseman R.J. Yeager and shortstop Tanner Leggett gave the Bulldogs a run, but Tulane got it right back in the bottom of the frame. Ethan Groff continued to stay hot, leading off the fifth with a homer to left off of Cade Smith to put the Green Wave up 3-1.

Bulldog designated hitter Hunter Hines responded with a homer of his own with a missile over the right-field wall. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases behind two walks and a single from right fielder Kellum Clark, and that would be it for Michael Massey. Tulane brought in Clifton Slagel, and Centerfielder Brad Cumbest tied it up with a sac fly, but that was all they got.

Mississippi State took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh, as Tanner Leggett led off with a double, and after getting to third on a sac-fly by Kamren James, he scored a run on a grounder by Hunter Hines.

Cade Smith retired the first Tulane hitter of the seventh, but he'd be taken out after surrendering a single and a walk. Brooks Auger came in to relieve him and immediately forced a flyout for the 2nd out. Auger then walked a hitter and balked, which advanced the runners and tied it up at 4-4. After the balk, Mississippi State turned to lefty Cam Tullar who would immediately walk a hitter and be taken out. With the bases loaded, Drew Talley would get the Bulldogs out of it with a flyout to right.

Talley went back out to pitch the eighth and gave up a pair of doubles to Simon Baumgardt and Trevor Minder to put Tulane up 5-4. Zach DeVito then shut the Bulldogs down in the top of the ninth to win the series for the Green Wave.

The Bulldogs were a combined 0-9 with runners in scoring position today, and the top 2 hitters in the Bulldog order Luke Hancock and Kamren James also combined to go 0-9.

Mississippi State will travel to Biloxi for a pair of mid-week games against Texas Tech to try to stay at .500.