State Drops Rubber Game To Auburn, 12-10

Sunday, April 5

Starkville

1:30 PM

Mississippi State

16-15, 0

Auburn

20-10, 0

Auburn

Mississippi State

Alabama Edges Bulldogs In Rain-Plagued Game 2 For 17-16 Victory

State Drops Rubber Game To Auburn, 12-10

April 05, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

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STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State could not maintain a six-run lead, falling to the Auburn Tigers 12-10 in the final game of a weekend Southeastern Conference baseball series Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.

Auburn cranked out five home runs and broke a 9-9 tie with three scores in the eighth inning to take its first weekend series in Starkville
since the 2003 season. While the home runs started the rally, the Bulldogs were done in by three consecutive bases-loaded walks in the eighth inning.

“We just couldn't throw a strike late today,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “We have to get better. I'm disappointed we're not throwing strikes. We have to get better in order for our bullpen to survive this year.”

With the victory, the Tigers improved to 20-10 overall and 6-6 in conference play. Meanwhile, MSU fell to 16-15 and 4-8.
MSU sprinted out of the gates, taking a 6-2 lead by scoring five runs in the home half of the third inning. The big blows in that inning were an RBI-single by Russ Sneed, RBI-double by Ryan Powers and two-run single by Grant Hogue.

An inning later, the Bulldogs ran that advantage to 8-2 by scoring a pair of runs. Connor Powers again started things with a leadoff single, just as he had in the=2 0third inning. For Powers, it was his third of four straight hits. The MSU first baseman hit his third home run of the series and eighth of the season in the first inning.

Ryan Duffy followed Powers with a hit, just as he had in the third inning. Russ Sneed also did the same, collecting back-to-back hits; this time, Powers and Duffy scored on Sneed's hit and the MSU lead extended to 8-2.

MSU started Forrest Moore was then touched for a pair of home runs in the fifth inning. Moore, pitching on three day's rest after throwing 109 pitches in a midweek defeat at Louisiana-Monroe, was lifted after a solo home run by Casey McElroy and two-run shot by Trent Mummey.

New pitcher Jared Wesson was greeted by a solo home run from Joseph Sanders. After a groundout, Tony Caldwell hit a solo home run to right center field.

It was the second time this season that Auburn hit four home runs in one inning, doing it earlier this year in the first inning of a win over Brown.

Jet Butler hit a sacrifice fly to run the MSU lead to 9-7 in the home half of the sixth inning.

Caldwell answered for Auburn, hitting a massive two-run home run to left center field in the seventh inning. That tied the contest 9-9.

MSU then needed four pitchers to work out of Auburn's three-run eighth inning.

The first two batters made outs before Drew Hollinghead was touched for a single by Sanders and issued a walk to Hunter Morris. Justin Bussey then walked a pair to loaded the bases and force in a run. Caleb Reed walked a pair as well, forcing in two more runs, before Paxton Pace got a groundball out to work the Bulldogs out of the eighth inning.

“There is no quick fix,” Cohen said. “We have to change some personalities on the mound and have to keep competing.”

Butler hit a solo home run for MSU in the ninth inning but that would be the extent of the rally.

Bradley Hendrix (5-2) pitched the final four innings, allowing two hits and one run (earned) to pick up the victory. Starter Taylor Thompson was chased during the MSU third inning.

Hollinghead (1-1) faced six batters while taking the defeat.

The Bulldogs finished with 13 hits. Connor Powers had his first four-hit game of the season, while Duffy had his second three-hit game. Sneed also had multiple hits for a team-high 13th time this season.

The Tigers finished with 10 hits. Sanders had three hits, while Caldwell had two hits for Auburn.

MSU will next play UAB at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night. That contest will be played at Regions Park in Birmingham. The Bulldogs return home for a 6:30 p.m. start Wednesday against Southern Miss. The MSU-USM contest will be televised regionally by Comcast Sports Southeast.