STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Chase Fralick hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning, lifting Auburn to a 5-4 victory over Mississippi State on Friday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium.

The Tigers, who lost the series opener 10-3 on Thursday, evened the Southeastern Conference series at one game apiece. Auburn improved to 34-15 overall, while Mississippi State dropped to 38-13.

Fralick’s solo homer to right-center field came with one out in the ninth off Mississippi State reliever Ben Davis. It capped a seesaw affair in which Auburn built a four-run lead before the Bulldogs rallied to tie the game in the eighth.

Auburn starter Andreas Alvarez worked four scoreless innings before leaving in the fifth. He scattered four hits, struck out four and walked two. Jackson Sanders replaced Alvarez after Mississippi State’s Reed Stallman hit a two-run home run in the fifth and earned the win, pitching the final 4 2/3 innings. Sanders allowed two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

The Tigers jumped ahead in the third inning. Leadoff hitter Steele L. walked, moved to third on a single by McCraine M. and scored on Fralick’s sacrifice fly. Chris Rembert followed with an RBI single, giving Auburn a 2-0 lead.

Auburn added two more in the fifth. McCraine led off with a single and later scored on Rembert’s groundout. Ethin Bingaman then singled home Guevara E., making it 4-0.

Mississippi State answered in the bottom of the fifth. Ace Reese doubled to lead off, and after two strikeouts, Stallman homered down the left-field line, cutting the deficit to 4-2.

The Bulldogs chipped away in the seventh. Reese doubled again, and after a walk and a strikeout, Stallman reached on a fielder’s choice that put Reese at third. Chance singled through the left side to score Reese, making it 4-3.

Mississippi State tied the game in the eighth. Milewski walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Reese’s single to right field. Reese was thrown out attempting to advance to second, ending the inning.

With the score tied 4-4, Fralick delivered the decisive blow in the ninth. He connected on a 1-1 pitch from Davis, who had entered in the seventh. The homer was Fralick’s only hit of the game.

Auburn finished with 10 hits, matching Mississippi State’s total. Rembert and Bingaman each had two hits for the Tigers. Reese had three hits, including two doubles, for the Bulldogs. Stallman drove in three runs with his homer and a fielder’s choice.

The Tigers’ bullpen held firm after the tying run. Sanders retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out Sullivan and getting Parker to line out before Stallman grounded out to end the game.

Auburn’s win snapped a two-game losing streak and kept the Tigers within striking distance in the conference standings. Mississippi State had won eight of its previous nine games entering Friday.

The two teams conclude the series Saturday. Auburn travels to Jacksonville State on Tuesday, while Mississippi State visits Texas A&M next week.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Mississippi State 7, Auburn 6. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Bulldogs a 57.00 percent probability to win. Mississippi State was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5.