For the third game in a row, the Missouri Tigers put themselves in a hole early in the game that they couldn’t get out of.

In the final home game and final regular season game of the year, the Tigers were swept in a 12-1 run-rule by Mississippi State. The Bulldogs scored 50 runs across the three-game series.

After getting two outs to kick off his start, Missouri starter Josh McDevitt struggled to close the frame. He allowed three singles, two doubles and a homer before he was pulled. He pitched just 2/3 of an inning and allowed six runs.

The Tigers had to go to their bullpen early for reliever Xavier Lovett, who went 3 1/3 innings in his long relief appearance. He gave up a two-run homer in his first inning, the Bulldogs 14th of the series. The 15th homer led off the fourth inning and Lovett’s final collegiate inning at home.

Two walks and a hit-by-pitch were handed to the Bulldogs by reliever Josh Kirchhoff to start the sixth inning. A fielder’s choice brought in one run and then a double brought the other two home. Another runner reached on an error before the inning concluded.

Unlike their first two games of the series, Mizzou was able to get a run of their own early. But it was just the one. A rough inning from Mississippi State starter Karson Ligon allowed the Tigers to load the bases with just one hit by pairing it with two hit-by pitches to bring a run home on a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Brock Daniels.

The Tigers concluded their historically bad regular season with an overall record of 16-38 and conference record of 3-27. Mizzou finished with the worst conference record ever in a 30 game season. They will face off in Round 1 of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday, May 20 in Hoover, Alabama.

After allowing 25 runs in Game 1 of the series, the Missouri Tigers pitching followed suit from the day before.

The game was put out of reach quite early. The Tigers briefly fought back against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but then ended the game quietly in a 13-3 run-rule for the series loss. f

By the end of the second inning, the Tigers were already down 8-0. Five runs crossed in the first inning from back-to-back doubles followed by two singles, a hit-by-pitch and a homer. Missouri starter Tony Neubeck then went back out for a second inning and allowed a two-run homer after an error plated the sixth run.

After the ball was turned over to reliever Brock Lucas, the Tigers has one clean inning before the scoring began again. The Bulldogs sent their 10th homer of the series out of the park in the fourth inning.

The 11th of the series made it 12-3 in the third inning and was the last batter that Lucas faced. The Tigers then went to reliever Ben Smith to close out the sixth before handing the ball to usual starter Wil Libbert. Libbert was not expected to pitch in the series, as he was being held for the upcoming SEC tournament.

Run-rule range was achieved in the seventh inning. Libbert allowed the run after back-to-back singles, a walk and then a sacrifice fly brought a Bulldog home.

The Tigers were able to bring home two runs on a pop-up from right fielder Cayden Nicoletto that was dropped by Mississippi State’s shortstop in the bottom of the third inning. This somewhat broke open the Mizzou offense. The Tigers tagged on another run in the fourth and stranded two after two singles and a hit-by-pitch.

The Tigers (16-37, 3-26) will look to avoid a series sweep against the Bulldogs (33-20, 14-15) in Game 3 at 2 p.m. on Friday.

For a brief moment it looked like the ghosts of Mississippi State’s past had come back to haunt the Bulldogs.

Missouri, who hadn’t won an SEC game until last weekend, trailed Mississippi State 12-0 headed into the bottom of the sixth inning. Then, like several other Mississippi State opponents have done this season, the Tigers started a comeback.

The Tigers scored seven unanswered runs, avoiding a run-rule defeat and putting them within striking distance (12-7) of a win. That must’ve woken the Bulldogs back up because what happened next wasn’t pretty.

Mississippi State scored three runs in the eighth inning to rebuild its lead and then went on to score 10 more runs in the ninth inning (in such a fashion to make one wonder, can we just offer mercy and be done?) and finish with a season-high 25 runs scored.

The Bulldogs set the single-game school record by slugging eight home runs in a 25-7 nine-inning victory over the Tigers at Taylor Stadium.

Reed Stallman, Ace Reese and Hunter Hines all hit two home runs with Hines’ second blast tying him with Rafael Palmeiro (1982-85) for the most career homers in MSU history at 67. Noah Sullivan and Joe Powell also went deep for the Bulldogs in their season-high 23-hit attack.

Sullivan finished the night 3-for-5 with homer and two RBIs while Reese, Hines and Bryce Chance were 3-for-6. Reese and Hines both added doubles to their two-homer games with Reese driving in four and Hines three. Chance provided three singles and had two RBIs. Stallman went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs, Gatlin Sanders went 2-for-4 wtih two singles and an RBI while Sawyer Reeves was 2-for-5 with two singles and drove in one.

Steven Spalitta added a pinch hit two-run triple and Gehrig Frei doubled as State improved to 32-20 overall and 13-15 in conference play.

Stone Simmons picked up the win in 1 1/3 innings of relief to up his record to 4-2 on the year. Nate Williams earned his first save as a Bulldog after working the final three frames.

State continues the series with Missouri on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. with both games streamed on SEC Network+.