Georgia Claims Series Sweep With 8-6 Extra-Inning Win
May 09, 2004 | Baseball
Official Game Statistics
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STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Georgia scored twice on back-to-back sacrifice flies in the 11th inning Sunday afternoon to defeat Mississippi State 8-6 and earn a first SEC series sweep at Dudy Noble Field. It was the 12th straight win overall and 10th straight SEC win for Georgia (33-15, 15-9), which trails SEC East leader Florida by one game. MSU (28-21, 8-16 SEC) fell for the sixth straight times and dropped its seventh straight SEC game.
Mississippi State senior shortstop Steve Gendron went 4-for-6 and became the third MSU player and 18th SEC player to reach the 300 hit mark in a career.
MSU rallied for a run in the ninth inning to force the extra innings and had opportunities to claim the series finale. However, MSU left runners at first and third base to end the ninth inning. MSU also stranded two runners in its final at-bat of Friday's 7-6 loss to Georgia. The hosts also had a first and third no-out situation in the 10th inning only to see a line drive double play and strikeout snuff out that threat.
In the Georgia 11th inning, lead-off man Josh Smith singled to center field. Justin Holmes followed with a single through the left side of the infield. Marshall Szabo reached as a hit batsman to load the bases. Josh Morris followed with a sacrifice fly to center. Pinch hitter Derek Smith then did the same to right field. Steve Gendron singled to start the MSU 11th inning but that would be all the damage done as Georgia completed the sweep.
MSU grabbed a 4-2 lead with four runs in the third inning. The big blow in that inning was a three-run home run by Craig Tatum to left field. The home run was Tatum's 10th of the year and lifted MSU to a 4-2 lead.
Georgia battled back on top 6-5 with three runs in the seventh inning. Holmes hit a sacrifice fly in that inning. Morris followed with an RBI single and the visitors grabbed the lead at 6-5 when Smith doubled down the left field line.
MSU actually had 16 hits in the contest as it lost for the second time this year when out-hitting an opponent. Gendron finished with four hits, while Joseph Hunter had three hits. The four-hit performance by Gendron allowed the MSU co-captain to become the third MSU player and 18th SEC player to manage 300 career hits. Gendron reached the 300-hit mark with a line drive single slipped through the shortstop in the MSU first inning.
Tatum also had two hits to go along with the three RBIs from the home run.
Georgia finished with 13 hits. Smith had four hits, while Holmes and Morris had a pair of hits apiece. Holmes hit his third home run of the weekend and seventh of the season when he launched a solo shot in the Georgia third inning.
Mitchell Boggs (2-1) threw 2-2/3 innings of middle relief for the win. Boggs scattered six hits but worked around tight spots in the ninth and 10th innings. Boggs had three strikeouts and no walks. Josh McLaughlin overcame the Gendron single in the 11th inning and became the third Georgia pitcher on the weekend to earn a season-first save.. Paul Lubrano scattered 10 hits and allowed five runs in 7-1/3 innings as the UG starter.
Freshman Jon Crosby (1-1) worked MSU out of a tight spot in the ninth inning and finished the contest to absorb the loss for MSU. Crosby allowed three hits and two runs (both earned) in 2 2/3 innings of work. Crosby struck out two and walked none in his fourth SEC appearance of the season. Todd Doolittle pitched five strong innings in the start for MSU. The former Meridian Community College standout allowed four hits and two runs while striking out three and walking none. Brett Cleveland, Jamie Gant and Brooks Dunn threw in relief for the homestanding Bulldogs.
MSU continues its seven-game homestand and closes out its 2004 non-conference schedule Wednesday night hosting Louisiana Tech Wednesday at 6:30 The Bulldogs then close their home schedule by hosting SEC leader Arkansas next weekend in a three-game set.
Georgia 8, MSU 6 (11 innings)
Georgia 33-15 101 001 300 02 - 8 13 1 MSU 28-21 004 001 001 00 - 6 16 1
WP-Boggs (2-1). LP-Crosby (1-1). Sv-McLaughlin (1). HR-Holmes (7); Tatum (10). T-3:38. A-1,414.
