Mississippi State
14-10, 2-4
Georgia
9-15, 1-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 0 |
| Mississippi State | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 3 |
Baseball Bulldogs Take Series Finale From Georgia
March 28, 2010 | Baseball
• Official Statistics
• Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- An RBI-single by Cody Freeman capped a monster comeback for the Mississippi State baseball team, as the Baseball Bulldogs rallied past Georgia 11-10 in a Southeastern Conference baseball game played Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.
The Maroon and White overcame its largest deficit of the season. MSU rallied from down 10-2 with a season-best eight-run eighth inning. Freeman then drove Jaron Shepherd home with the game-winner with two outs in the ninth inning.
The victory allowed the hosts to take the weekend conference series, two games to one. M-State improved to 14-10 overall and 2-4 in league play, while UGA fell to 9-15 and 1-5. For MSU, it snapped a string of seven straight weekend series losses in the league's only matchup of a pair of Bulldogs.
MSU is now 6-2 in one-run games, including all three victories on this four-game homestand.
"This series win does a lot for us," MSU head coach John Cohen said. "Everyone has these times and you have to battle through them. You can go .500 in this league and win a national championship. This is a tough league and when you take two out of three from anyone, you are doing something right."
In a weekend series role reversal, the Maroon and White actually built the early lead Sunday afternoon. MSU scored twice and grabbed an early 2-0 lead.
Nick Vickerson opened the game with a leadoff double. A fly out advanced Vickerson and a ground out brought the Bulldog third baseman home. Russ Sneed followed with his third home run of the season - a towering shot to left field.
UGA erased the early deficit with a single score and three more runs in the third inning.
In the third inning, Johnathan Taylor started things with a leadoff single. Levi Hyams followed with a double down the left field line. Zach Cone followed with a massive three-run home run to left field - his fourth long ball of the year.
The visitors built on that lead with single scores in the fourth and sixth innings. MSU starting pitcher Chad Girodo was lifted after allowing a single and a walk to start the fourth inning.
Peter Verdin line a sacrifice fly for UGA's run in the fourth inning. Farmer and Hyams connected for a pair of doubles in the sixth inning. Hyams' hit ran the lead to 6-2.
MSU reliever Caleb Reed hung tough until being lifted during a four-run eighth inning by UGA.
Carson Schilling started the UGA eighth inning with a single. Kyle Farmer followed with a double down the left field line. An infield error scored one run, while a sacrifice fly by Verdin - his second of the game - plated another. Hyams followed with an RBI-double, while Robert Shipman added an RBI-single.
In the MSU eighth inning, things unraveled for the UGA bullpen. Starting pitcher Michael Palazzone worked the first seven innings. Russ Sneed began the outburst by drawing a one-out walk from reliever Ben Cornwell. Ryan Collins singled through the infield. Jet Butler laced a run-scoring single, bringing home Sneed. New pitcher John Herman was touched for an RBI-single by Wes Thigpen and a three-run home run by Jonathan Ogden - his third of the season.
The three-run home run snapped a streak of 11 straight MSU home runs of the solo variety.
Justin Earls became the third UGA pitcher in the eighth inning. Cody Freemen greeted Earls with a double off the extended wall in dead center field. Vickerson advanced Freeman with a base hit to right field. Luke Adkins followed with a two-run double off the wall in right center field.
Cooper Moseley followed to the mound. Connor Powers hit Moseley's second pitch to right field for a game-tying single. A pop-up and strikeout ended the inning.
One inning later, the homestanding Bulldogs closed the deal. Butler began the inning with a sharp single to right center. After a failed bunt attempt, pinch runner Shepherd stole second base. Shepherd late stole third and after a strikeout, trotted home on Freeman's game-winner.
Palazzone worked seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs (both earned), with nine strikeouts and four walks. Cornwell, Herman and Earls followed before Moseley (0-1) took the loss.
"I am pleased with the way we competed today," said Cohen, who was ejected in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes. "Their starter had a great outing. When we got him out of there, we were able to get some things going."
Girodo worked three-plus innings, allowing six hits and five runs (four earned), with three strikeouts and a walk. Greg Houston (3-0) worked the final 1.1 innings to earn the win. Houston allowed no hits and no runs with three strikeouts in relief. Reed followed Girodo, while Tyler Whitney preceded Houston.
MSU finished with 15 hits. Collins had his third three-hit game of the season, while Butler had his second three-hit game. Vickerson and Freeman had multiple hits.
Georgia matched a season-high with 15 hits, as well. Hyams had three hits, while Taylor, Shipman, Farmer and Schilling each added multiple hits.
The Bulldogs return to action Tuesday night, facing arch-rival Ole Miss in the fourth Governor's Cup. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. from Trustmark Park in Pearl, home of the Mississippi Braves minor-league club. Conference play resumes this weekend when MSU faces South Carolina. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Houston, Greg (3-0)
L: Moseley (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Hyams 3 ; Schilling 1 ; Farmer 2
HR: Cone 1
RBI: Taylor, J. 1 ; Verdin 2 ; Hyams 2 ; Cone 3 ; Shipman 1 ; Schilling 1
SF: Verdin 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor, J. 2 ; Hyams 2 ; Cone 1 ; May 2 ; Schilling 1 ; Farmer 2
SB: Taylor, J. 2
Batting:
2B: Vickerson, Nick 1 ; Adkins, Luke 1 ; Freeman, Cody 1
3B: Collins, Ryan 1
HR: Sneed, Russ 1 ; Ogden, Jonathan 1
RBI: Adkins, Luke 2 ; Powers, Connor 2 ; Sneed, Russ 1 ; Butler, Jet 1 ; Thigpen, Wes 1 ; Ogden, Jonathan 3 ; Freeman, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vickerson, Nick 2 ; Adkins, Luke 1 ; Sneed, Russ 2 ; Collins, Ryan 1 ; Butler, Jet 1 ; Shepherd, Jaron 1 ; Thigpen, Wes 1 ; Ogden, Jonathan 1 ; Freeman, Cody 1
SB: Shepherd, Jaron 2
