Dogs Clinch Series With 8-3 Win At Arkansas
March 22, 2003 | Baseball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Matthew Maniscalco and Steve Gendron belted home runs on consecutive pitches in the seventh inning Saturday as ninth-ranked Mississippi State (16-3-1, 3-1 SEC) topped No. 16 Arkansas 8-3 to clinch the weekend series at sun-drenched Baum Stadium. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks (18-4, 2-3 SEC) close out the Western Division series Sunday at 1 p.m.
MSU never trailed in the game, taking a 4-1 lead on UA starter Clint Brannon (1-1) in the first three innings. J.B. Tucker drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to plate a run in the first and Jon Mungle singled and later scored on Steve Gendron's sacrifice fly to center field to put State up 2-0 in the second.
Bulldog starter Alan Johnson (3-0) scattered seven hits, struck out two and stayed away from big-inning problems early during his six-inning mound stint. Arkansas threatened to score but came up empty after getting a pair of two-out singles in the first inning and then parlayed a walk, a hit batsman, a single by Kirk McConnell and an infield groundout by Scott Bridges to score a run in the second.
State answered with a pair of runs to expand its lead to 4-1 In the third. Craig Tatum and Tucker delivered singles and later scored on Joseph Hunter's single to right-center field.
Clay Goodwin singled to right with two outs, advanced a base on a fielding error, and Nick Pitts singled him home to make it a 4-2 game in the bottom of the third. UA's Haas Pratt closed the gap further when he opened the fifth inning with his sixth home run of the season. But it would be the final run on the afternoon for Arkansas, limited to two walks and two singles the remainder of the game.
State erupted for six hits and scored three times in the seventh off relief pitcher Boyd Goodner. Matthew Maniscalco opened the frame with his second home run of the season and on the next pitch Steve Gendron extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games with his first roundtripper of the year. Brad Corley and Matthew Brinson followed with singles and Brent Lewis lofted a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to score Corley and give the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead.
State wrapped up its scoring in the eighth when Jon Mungle opened the inning with a double and came home on a pinch-hit single up the middle by Jeff Butts.
Relief man Jonathan Papelbon struck out five Razorbacks in three innings of shutout pitching to close out the game and earn his first save of the year.
Maniscalco, Corley, Tatum, Tucker and Mungle had two hits each while Gendron and Hunter had two-RBI outings.
State, with wins in seven of the last nine meetings with Arkansas, closes out the series and a season-longest five-game road trip Sunday at 1 p.m. Sophomore lefty Todd Nicholas (2-0, 1.96) will draw starting duties for MSU.
| MISSISSIPPI STATE 8, ARKANSAS 3 | |||||
| MSU | 112 | 000 | 310 | --- | 8-14-1 |
| ARK | 011 | 010 | 000 | --- | 3-9-0 |
WP --- Alan Johnson (3-0). LP --- Clint Brannon (1-1). HR --- (MSU) Matthew Maniscalco (2), Steve Gendron (1). (ARK) Haas Pratt (6). T --- 2:44. ATT --- 4,073.
Alan Johnson, Jonathan Papelbon (7) and J.B. Tucker. Clint Brannon, Boyd Goodner (4), Josh Merryman (7), Ryan Fox (9) and Brady Toops.
