Corley's Second Straight Two-Homer Game Powers State Past Kentucky 12-3
April 11, 2004 | Baseball
Official Game Statistics (PDF)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Right fielder Brad Corley hit his fourth and fifth home runs of the weekend and senior righty Jeff Lacher tossed his first career complete-game Sunday afternoon leading Mississippi State (21-11, 5-7 SEC) to a 12-3 win over Kentucky (16-15, 3-9) at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The victory clinched the first SEC series win of the season for the Bulldogs, who have now won four of their last five games, all on the road.
Corley, a sophomore from Louisville, Ky., gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead with a solo blast off UK starter Craig Snipp (1-5) in the second inning. State sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five more runs in the inning, two on Jeffrey Rea's double into the left field corner.
Lacher (3-4) scattered five hits, walked two and blanked the UKats in eight of nine innings pitched to register the win, the first route-going performance by a Mississippi State pitcher this season. Kentucky scored its three runs (one earned) in the fifth inning on two singles, a fielding error and a pair of throwing errors following a sacrifice fly.
Joseph Hunter, who was struck by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second, was hit by a second pitch to open the fourth. Steve Gendron later singled Hunter home to give MSU a 7-0 lead. Corley opened the fifth with a blast over the center field wall for the first of two MSU runs in the fifth, and in the sixth Gendron and Craig Tatum delivered back-to-back doubles and Corley added a run-scoring single as MSU raced to an 11-3 lead.
Thomas Berkery doubled to open the ninth, moved up a base on Casey Hamilton's pinch-hit single, and scored the game's final run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Joseph Hunter.
The Bulldogs pounded out 14 hits on the day, including five doubles and Corley's two home runs.
Corley hit .615 (8 for 13) with five home runs, a double and eight RBI during his homecoming weekend in Kentucky. He has hit eight home runs in his last seven games and leads the Bulldogs with 10 roundtrippers for the year.
Jeffrey Rea, Brad Jones and Steve Gendron turned in two-hit plate performances and Joseph Hunter, with an HBP, an infield groundout and a sacrifice fly, posted his second consecutive three-RBI outing.
Gendron's two hits raised his career hits total to 281 and into sole possession of third place among Mississippi State's career leaders.
Snipp, the first of four UK pitchers, took the loss after giving up six runs on five hits. He left the game after giving up six runs in the second inning.
Mississippi State wraps up a six-game road run in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday night, serving as the designated home team in the 25th annual Entergy/Mayor's Trophy Game with Mississippi. First pitch at Smith-Wills Stadium is 6:30 p.m.
State resumes SEC competition this weekend at Dudy Noble Field, entertaining the Florida Gators during Super Bulldog Weekend. Friday's series-opener is set for 6:30 p.m. while the Saturday game, televised regionally by FOX and SEC-TV, begins at 3 p.m.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 12, KENTUCKY 3
MSU 060 122 001 ---- 12-14-4 UK 000 030 000 ---- 3-5-1WP -- Jeff lacher (3-4). LP --- Craig Snipp (1-5). HR --- Brad Corley-2 (10). T --- 2:28. ATT --- 221.
