Not Over ‘Til It’s Over
March 26, 2022 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Sudden turnaround shows the fight in the Bulldogs.
STARKVILLE – Baseball isn't for those who are impatient. It's not built for the people who quickly jump to conclusions or cower in the face of adversity.
No, in this beautifully frustrating game, it's imperative to never panic. Whether it's a season, or one ballgame, it's vital to cling the words attributed to baseball legend Yogi Berra – "It ain't over 'til it's over."
On Friday night at Dudy Noble Field, it was almost over for Mississippi State. Almost. And in baseball – as Alabama would be reminded – almost just doesn't count.
The Crimson Tide needed but one more out to close out the Bulldogs. State trailed by two in the bottom of the ninth.
Logan Tanner walked. Hunter Hines smashed a baseball down the right-field line and it went screaming through the Starkville night before landing in the Adkerson Plaza. Tie game.
In extras, RJ Yeager drove a breaking ball out to right-center to give MSU the 7-6 walk-off victory and send The Dude into a frenzy. Dawgs Win Again.
It ain't over 'til it's over and when this one was over, Mississippi State had figured it out and found a way.
"That's one of the sayings here: 'We're going to grind you out from the first inning until the last inning,'" the Mercer transfer, Yeager, said. "That definitely drew me here, and that's what we did."
Friday night was a reminder of the power of resiliency. It's a trait this year's crop of Bulldogs have been forced to adopt, or else.
The ride to this point of the season hasn't been completely smooth, to say the least. There have been frustrating defeats. State's top arm in the starting rotation and one of its most-relied-upon relievers? Both lost for the year.
Some Bulldogs have been forced into even bigger roles than expected when this season started and it's resulted in an up-and-down five weeks or so.
But February and March doesn't determine a season's ultimate destination, in much the same way the first several innings weren't enough to put Mississippi State down on Friday.
By the time the fireworks were exploding over the stadium at the conclusion of Friday's affair, everyone had been reminded this game rewards those who stay persistent and don't let the past dictate the present.
"That was the best thing about [Friday was] we're learning it as a team," Lemonis said. "Some kids like Luke Hancock know what it feels like. But this group, these kids on this journey, they're starting to figure out how to win, how to play and what SEC baseball's all about."
Kellum Clark gave State its first glimmer of hope on Friday. His three-run shot with two outs in the seventh cut a 5-1 deficit to 5-4.
Alabama got a run back in the ninth to increase its advantage to two, but Hines ensured, on this particular evening, more than nine innings would be needed.
On a 3-1 count, Hines took a mighty hack. There was no question the ball was hit far enough. But was it going to stay fair? Yep. And the ballpark shook as Hines rounded the bases.
In the tenth, the Tide tried to strike right back, but the Dawgs would have none of it. With a man on first and nobody out, Alabama's Drew Williamson's bunt attempt was popped into the air. Kamren James charged in from third, laid out and made a spectacular diving catch, made all the more impressive by his throw to first that doubled off the runner.
It all set the stage for a walk-off Yeager bomb that won't soon be forgotten.
"That one was crazy," Yeager said. "I kind of blacked out running around the bases, I was so pumped up."
Yeager lost his helmet in the celebration. The Bulldogs and their maroon-and-white-clad family in the stands lost their minds.
All the while, it was reinforced that in baseball – whether it's a singular game or a season as a whole – if you just keep swinging and never give in, you might just find yourself celebrating in the end.
