Mississippi State Escapes Delta Devil Challenge With 4-3 Win

Wednesday, February 25

Starkville

4:00 PM

Mississippi State

5-1

Mississippi Valley State

2-2

Miss. Valley State

Mississippi State

Mississippi State Escapes Delta Devil Challenge With 4-3 Win

February 25, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

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STARKVILLE, Miss. - Freshman Brent Brownlee doubled in the game-winning run in the eighth inning Wednesday night lifting Mississippi State (5-1) to a 4-3 college baseball win over Mississippi Valley State (2-2) at Dudy Noble Field. It was the 18th Bulldog win over the Delta Devils in as many meetings and the second one-run game in the series.

State broke open a 1-1 pitching duel and claimed a 3-1 advantage with a two-run seventh inning burst. State third baseman Jarrod Parks laced a one-out single through the right side of the MVSU infield, stole second, and later scampered home when Ryan Powers' infield grounder was misplayed at third base. Powers scored from first moments later on a Mark Goforth double to left.

MVSU staged a two-out rally and knotted the score at 3-3 in the eighth inning off Bulldog relief pitcher Lee Swindle. Left fielder Chris Herron singled through the left side of Swindle, stole second, and raced home on Curtis Ford's single to left. Swindle gave way to Justin Bussey, who was unable to hold the lead. Ford stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and plated the tying run on a passed ball.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the bottom of the frame, but not before MVSU coach Doug Shanks was ejected for disputing a hit batsman call. Connor Powers took first base after being struck by right-hander Scott Reid's 3-2 pitch, and Shanks' ensuing argument resulted in an ejection by first base umpire Jeff Head. Grant Hogue, making an injury-delayed senior season debut, pinch-ran for Powers, stole second and later touched home with what proved to be the deciding run on Brownlee's sharply-hit double into the left field corner.

Junior right-hander Justin Bussey (1-0), the last of four Bulldog hurlers in the game, got the final out of the eighth inning and retired the Delta Devils in order to earn his first career win. Freshman David Hayes drew the start for State in his collegiate debut, yielding a run before being replaced by junior Greg Houston two outs into the second inning. Houston allowed one base-runner on a walk in 4-1/3 innings of strong middle inning relief. Lee Swindle followed Houston and was touched for two runs in the seventh before giving way to Bussey.

MVSU starter Chris Mills worked 5-1/3 innings, holding the Bulldogs to a run and one hit. He was replaced by Reid (0-1) in the sixth, who was charged with three runs (one earned) on four hits over the final 2-2/3 innings.

The Delta Devils claimed the early lead when Bard opened the second innings with a single, was bunted over to second base and then scored on Cody Pride double into the gap in left past the glove of a diving Mark Goforth. Mills handcuffed the Bulldogs on one-hit pitching through four innings before walking the bases full and hitting Ryan Powers with a pitch to force in State's initial run of the night.

State out-hit MVSU 5-4.

The Bulldogs close out their season-opening home stand this weekend when State hosts Nicholls University (3-2) in a three-game series. Dudy Noble Field game times are set for 4 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.