MSU, Alabama split doubleheader

Published 10:40 pm Saturday, April 30, 2016

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — By the slimmest of margins, Mississippi State walked out of Tuscaloosa a winner on Saturday.

Konnor Pilkington allowed one run and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, and the Bulldogs made a pair of runs in the second inning stand up as they beat Alabama 2-1 in the second game of a doubleheader.

Reid Humphreys and Ryan Gridley had RBI singles to account for MSU’s only runs. Humphreys finished with two of the Bulldogs’ four hits.

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The win was the second in the three-game series for Mississippi State (30-14-1, 12-9 Southeastern Conference). The Bulldogs have won all four road series played inside the league this year.

“We came here to win a series and that is what we were able to do,” Mississippi State coach John Cohen said. “So many chances in the first game but we walked too many guys. In the second game (Pilkington and Daniel Brown) walked three and held them to three total hits.”

MSU won Thursday’s opener, then fell 4-3 in the first game Saturday.

After Gridley gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, Alabama (25-20, 10-11) scored twice to win it in walk-off fashion in the bottom half.

Four MSU pitchers issued four walks in the ninth, including one to Chandler Taylor with the bases loaded that tied the game. Chance Vincent then singled to center field to bring in the game-winning run.

The doubleheader was played after Friday’s game was rained out. Both were originally scheduled for seven innings, so Alabama’s game one victory actually came in extra innings.