Arkansas rallies with nine unanswered runs to win series against Mississippi State

Arkansas fell short of a comeback victory in game two against Mississippi State but executed it gloriously in the rubber match.

The starting performance from the mound was uncharacteristically bad against the Bulldogs. Hagen Smith was the exception, but even his game was not up to the level he usually plays. Smith, Brady Tygart, and Mason Molina combined for 11 of Mississippi State's 19 runs on only 7.2 innings pitched.

The Razorbacks' batting came in clutch every night of the series. While they're still extremely poor hitters with RISP, they found other ways to drive in runs. Only three of this weekend's were driven in without relying on a home run, sacrifice fly, or ground out. 

Regardless, they stepped up when needed. In the final game of the series, the Diamond Hogs fell behind six runs by the fourth inning, with only five left until they lose their first home series of the season. Instead, the Hogs found their long ball and scored nine unanswered points, six of which were brought in by dingers.

Mississippi State had no answer at the plate when Molina was pulled. The Bulldogs would score two on Gage Wood, but they were held scoreless for the rest of the game.

Arkansas will take on Texas A&M in College Station starting this Friday. It's the last SEC series for the Hogs before the SEC tournament. With the Aggies' loss this weekend to Ole Miss, the Razorbacks can clinch the SEC West with a series win. With a sweep and a Kentucky loss, Arkansas can win the SEC outright.