Auburn Strikes Early, Holds On To Even Series With 8-7 Win
April 09, 2005 | Baseball
Official Game Statistics
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- No. 24 Mississippi State (19-8, 5-5 SEC) staked No. 16 Auburn to a 5-0 first-inning lead and then saw a late-game rally fall short as the Tigers (22-12, 6-5 SEC) prevailed 8-7 Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field. The Auburn win, witnessed by a sun-drenched Super Bulldog Weekend crowd of 10,958 and a regional SEC-TV audience, sets up a deciding "rubber game" in the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs rallied back into contention, scoring three times in the seventh and then got two hits in the ninth before Auburn bullpen ace Michael Nix earned his seventh win in relief of starter Josh Sullivan (6-2).
The Tigers used three big swings off MSU starter Todd Doolittle (3-3), two-run blasts by Clete Thomas and Josh Bell and solo shot Jeff Boutwell to stake Sullivan to the early lead. That lead grew to 7-0 in the second inning when the Tigers used a walk, a two-out throwing error and a double by Bell to plate two more runs and chase Doolittle from the game two outs into the inning.
The Bulldogs cut into the lead with two runs in the second on Ed Easley's two-out, bases-loaded single to right-center. Joseph Hunter opened the frame with a single and Brian LaNinfa and Bunky Kateon drew two-out walks, setting the table for Easley's hit. The Bulldogs threatened in the third but stranded runners at second and third base. In the next inning State loaded the bases with a single and a pair of walks, and Brad Corley made it a 7-4 game with a two run single to right.
Auburn plated its eighth run in the fifth inning on a single, a pair of walks and a misplayed grounder by Clete Thomas at first base. Freshman relief pitcher Justin Pigott, the last of three Bulldog hurlers in the game, shut Auburn out the remainder of the game. The lefty blanked Auburn with two-hit pitching over a season-longest 5.0 innings, registering five of MSU's nine strikeouts.
State scored three times with three hits and a walk in the seventh off relief man John Madden, helped along by a pair of two-base Auburn errors. Brad Jones, Thomas Berkery and Brian LaNinfa singled in the inning.
The Bulldogs threatened again in the ninth off Michael Nix, who struck out the first two batters he faced before LaNinfa reached on a throwing error. Bunky Kateon then followed with a two-strike single to right. On the play pinch-runner Ryan Fesmire drew a throw when he advanced to third and Kateon was thrown out trying to advance to second, ending the three-hour game.
MSU out-hit Auburn 11-10, with Brad Jones, Thomas Berkery and Ed Easley leading the way with two hits each. Easley also drove in three runs. But for the first time this season all the Bulldog hits were singles, while Auburn, surviving four errors, numbers three home runs and a double among 10 hits. Josh Bell singled, doubled, homered and drove in three runs to lead the Tigers at the plate.
Sullivan gave up four runs on seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
Sophomore righty Jon Crosby (4-1, 3.38) will take the hill in Sunday's 1:30 p.m. series finale while Auburn has not declared its starting pitcher.
MSU eclipsed the 10,000 mark in attendance for the 18th time in school history with Saturday's paid attendance of 10,958.
AUBURN 8, MISSISSIPPI STATE 7
AUB 520 010 000 --- 8-10-4MSU 020 200 300 --- 7-11-3WP --- Josh Sullivan (6-2). LP --- Todd Doolittle (3-3). SV --- Michael Nix (7). HR --- Clete Thomas (4), Josh Bell (6), Jeff Boutwell (1). T --- 3:06 . ATT --- 10,758 (10,958 paid) .
