Diamond Dogs Knock Off No. 5 Auburn 4-2
April 11, 2003 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Joseph Hunter's sixth-inning triple broke a 2-2 tie Friday night as No. 6 Mississippi State (25-5-1, 10-2) topped No. 5 Auburn 4-2 in the opening game of a three-game weekend series at Dudy Noble Field. The win was the Bulldogs' first against a top 10-ranked opponent this season.
Bulldog starter Paul Maholm (6-1) picked up his sixth straight win, giving up two runs on eight hits while striking out eight. Auburn starter Eric Brandon (2-2) took the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits.
Auburn (27-8, 9-4 SEC) struck early, parlaying three singles and a hit batsman into a 1-0 lead. Karl Amonite was hit by a pitch and later scored on Josh Bell's two-out single to left. The Auburn burst was curtailed in the inning when Hunter, the Bulldog center fielder, threw out Auburn's Bobby Huddleston at home plate.
The Bulldogs threatened in the third, loading the bases when Thomas Berkery singled and Brandon hit the next two batters. The Auburn ace worked out of the jam, retiring the next two Bulldog batters on fly balls.
Brandon was not as fortunate in the fourth when he walked Matthew Brinson and hit Brad Corley with a pitch to open the frame. The runners advanced on a Brent Lewis groundout, Craig Tatum tied the score with a run-scoring groundout to third and Berkery drove in another run with his second single of the night.
Maholm shut the Tigers out until the sixth inning when Bell tied the game with a two-out home run over the right-center field wall. It was the fourth home run of the year for the Tiger catcher and the first allowed this season by Maholm.
State used a two-out rally to regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With two batters retired, Berkery became the fourth Bulldog batter hit by Brandon. Hunter then followed with his fourth triple of the season, scoring Berkery. Matthew Maniscalco sent Hunter home with a single to right, ending Brandon's stint on the mound and giving the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead.
Jonathan Papelbon delivered two innings of shutout relief, retiring six of the seven batters he faced, three on strikeouts, to earn his team-leading third save.
Maniscalco, Berkery and Hunter had two hits each for pace the Bulldogs' seven-hit plate performance. Auburn out-hit the Bulldogs, getting two hits each from Huddleston and Bell.
State and Auburn continue their Super Bulldog Weekend series Saturday at 3 p.m., with sophomore Alan Johnson (4-1, 3.18) matching up with Auburn sophomore southpaw Arnold Hughey (4-2, 3.21).
MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, AUBURN 2
AU 010 100 000 -- 2 9 0MSU 000 202 00X -- 4 7 1
WP -- Paul Maholm (6-1). LP -- Eric Brandon (2-2). HR -- (AU) Josh Bell (4). ATT -- 7,354 (paid), 6,035 (actual). T -- 2:26.
Paul Maholm, Jonathan Papelbon (8) and Craig Tatum. Eric Brandon, Chris Dennis (6) and Josh Bell.
