Johnson Fires Complete Game Two-Hit Shutout In Bulldogs' Series-Clinching 7-0 Win Over Rebs

Official Game Statistics

Matthew Maniscalco slides across home plate to score a run during the third inning.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Bulldog sophomore Alan Johnson pitched a complete-game two-hit shutout and battery mate Craig Tatum drove in the first two runs of the game Saturday as ninth-ranked Mississippi State (21-3-1, 7-1 SEC) clinched its third league series of the year with a 2-0 blanking of Mississippi (17-9, 5-3 SEC). It was the second shutout in as many days for the Bulldogs, who opened the series with a 2-0 win Friday afternoon at Oxford-University Stadium. The game was played before 5,752, the largest home crowd of the year and third-largest ever at Mississippi's home park.

Johnson allowed three base runners in a masterful career-longest, nine-inning pitching performance. UM lead off batter Jonathan Swearingen opened the game with a single up the middle but was later erased on a double play. In the fourth inning UM shortstop Chad Sterbens singled sharply up the middle and reached second base when Seth Smith walked. But the Bulldog right-hander retired left-handed hitting Brian Pettway and Stephen Heard on fly balls to the outfield to end the inning and the retired the Rebels in order the remainder of the game, notching MSU's third route-going pitching performance in two weekends of league play.

Steve Gendron lashed out two hits on the day.

The Bulldogs scored twice off UM senior starter T.J. Beam (3-1) in the second inning, who issued a one-out walk to State DH Brent Lewis and then gave up a two-run opposite field blast to Tatum. Tatum singled in both runs in Friday's Bulldog win.

Senior shortstop Matthew Maniscalco extended his hitting streak to 12 games, opening the third with a single and later scoring on Matthew Brinson's sacrifice fly to center field. State expanded its lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning. Lewis' smash to third base was misplayed, Thomas Berkery followed with a double, and Joseph Hunter sent Lewis home on a sacriufice fly to center field.

UM's defensive woes continued the next inning when State parlayed Jon Mungle's lead-off triple to right and three Rebel fielding miscues into two more runs and a 6-0 lead.

Craig Tatum homered during the second inning.

Beam allowed six runs on six hits and struck out six in five innings, giving way to Nick Bradshaw who one-hit the Bulldogs over the final four innings. Joseph Hunter scored the Bulldogs' final run in the ninth inning, reaching on a fielding error at shortstop and later scoring on Mungle's single to center field. Mungle and Gendron had two hits each to lead MSU's seven-hit attack.

The shutout gave MSU its first back-to-back shutout wins since 2000 and its first blankings against conference competition since 1990 when State bested Mississippi 17-0 and 9-0 at Oxford-University Stadium. The win also clinched the third straight SEC weekend series and the eighth series in its last nine visits to Oxford for MSU, now off to its best start since 1979.

The series concludes Sunday at 1:30 p.m. State sophomore Todd Nicholas (3-0, 1.65) will be matched with UM freshman lefty Eric Fowler (1-1, 2.73).

MISSISSIPPI STATE 7, MISSISSIPPI 0

MSU     021 120 001 --- 7-7-0UM      000 000 000 --- 0-2-5

WP -- Alan Johnson (4-0). LP -- T.J. Beam (3-1). HR -- Craig Tatum (3). T -- 2:13. ATT -- 5,752.

Alan Johnson and Craig Tatum. T. J. Beam and Nick Bradshaw (6) and Charlie Waite.

Records: MSU -- 21-3-1, 7-1 SEC, UM -- 17-9, 5-3 SEC

Mississippi State University Athletics

Johnson Fires Complete Game Two-Hit Shutout In Bulldogs' Series-Clinching 7-0 Win Over Rebs

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