2019 CWS Game 4: Mississippi State 5 Auburn 4

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>For the fifth time in six NCAA postseason games, State fell behind early as Edouard Julien hit a two-run home run in the second inning and plated a run with a single in the fourth for Auburn (38-27). MSU got a run back in the sixth, before the Tigers added an unearned run in the eighth to move their lead to 4-1.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>The ninth inning saw graduate student Cole Gordon (5-0) throw a scoreless top of the inning with three strikeouts, before the Diamond Dawgs would score four runs on four hits and benefit from one Auburn error. Seniors Jake Mangumand Elijah MacNamee each collected doubles, with MacNamee’s scoring the first run. Sophomore Justin Foscue grounded out to score the second run of the frame, before juniorDustin Skelton reached on a throwing error that allowed the game-tying-run to score. Three batters later, Gilbert sent the Maroon and White faithful home happy.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>In his 18th start of the season, redshirt-juniorEthan Small threw five innings and allowed three runs on three hits. He fanned eight batters to move his season total to 176, surpassing Eric DuBose (174; 1996) for the top spot on the single-season strikeout charts at Mississippi State and moving him into the top five all-time on the Southeastern Conference’s single-season list.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>“I thought Auburn did a great job, and they had some big two-out hits. Edouard Julien, that’s one of the farthest home runs in this ballpark, and nobody has hit that pitch off Ethan [Small] all year. I give our guys credit, we fought to the last out, just kept competing and it’s something we’ve talked about all year. It’s a little bit of a frustrating night because we had a couple opportunities to drive in some runs and we didn’t, but at the very end, just the grit of our ballclub played out and we were able to put some balls in play.”

Marshall Gilbert – Had just one hit, but it produced the game winning RBI with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.

Jake Mangum – Had a pair of hits, including the double in the ninth inning that started the rally. His double was the 72nd of his career and broke a tie with Travis Chapman (71; 1997-2000) atop the MSU career charts.

Jack Owen – Held the Diamond Dawg offense to just one run on six hits in five innings of work. Started the sixth inning and allowed a single and a walk, before leaving the game.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>Julien plated the third run of the game, as well, with an RBI single following a pair of two-out walks. A leadoff walk was erased on a double play, before Steven Williams and Woley each worked two-out free passes. Julien followed with a two-out single to center field to make it a three-run Auburn lead.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>The Diamond Dawgs forced Auburn to use three different pitchers in the inning but could muster just one run. Justin Foscue singled and Dustin Skelton walked to start the inning, before the lead runner was put out on a fielder’s choice.Gunner Halter followed with a base hit to score the lone run of the frame, as MSU would leave three runners on base.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>A pair of errors would result in a run for Auburn in the frame. After an error allowed the leadoff runner to reach, reliever Jared Liebelt would get a double play for the first two outs of his second inning of work. After hitting Will Holland, Williams singled to right-center field, with Holland rounding third a little too far. The throw from Foscue to third base short hopped Marshall Gilbert and squirted away to allow Holland to score.

p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none”>Jake Mangum started the inning with a double to right field and Tanner Allen followed a strikeout with a base on balls. Elijah MacNamee followed with a double to score the first run of the inning, before a Foscue ground out made it a 4-3 game with two outs. An Auburn throwing error on a Josh Hatcher ground ball allowed the game-tying run to score, before Rowdey Jordan was intentionally walked to load the bases. Gilbert chopped a ball up the middle that caromed off of pitcher Tanner Burns’ glove and neither middle infielder could corral the ball, allowing Skelton to score for MSU’s third walk-off win of the season.

Mississippi State will face off with No. 2 national seed Vanderbilt on Tuesday, June 18 at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The winner of that game will play the winner’s bracket final on Friday, June 21 at 6 p.m. CT, while the loser will face either Louisville or Auburn at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, June 20 in an elimination game.