Georgia Uses Long Ball To Top State 6-3
April 17, 2005 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia plated six runs on three home run swings Sundayafternoon to claim a series-clinching 6-3 college baseball win over No. 21Mississippi State at Foley Field.
Joey Side, Bobby Felmy and Josh Morris each sent drives over the Foley Fieldwall, making a winner of relief pitcher Mitchell Boggs (3-3). Boggs, whoreplaced UG starter Will Startup in the seventh inning, struck out four in2-1/3 innings of scoreless, no-hit relief. Startup, making his second startof the year, scattered eight hits, struck out five and was charged with allthree MSU runs during his 6-2/3 inning stint.
Mississippi State took the early lead on Brian LaNinfa's first home run ofthe season, a two-run shot off the Foley Field scoreboard in right fieldwith Ed Easley on base.
That lead lasted an inning. In the third, MSU starter Jon Crosby retired thefirst batter he faced, gave up back-to-back singles to Felmy and Kyle Keen,and Side followed with his fourth home run of the year that put UG on top3-2.
State tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth when Ed Easley doubled to centerfield, advanced a base on Bunky Kateon's fly ball reeled in at the wall bycenterfielder Joey Side, and scored on Brian LaNinfa's second run-scoringhit of the game, a single up the middle of the infield.
Georgia regained the lead in the seventh inning, again using the long ball.Adam McDaniel opened the inning with a single off relief pitcher JustinPigott and Bobby Felmy then belted his fourth home run of the season for a5-3 UG lead. Josh Morris capped a 3-for-4 day with a solo blast in theeighth.
State starter Jon Crosby worked 4-1/3 innings, giving up three runs on eighthits with two walks and five strikeouts. Pigott replaced him in the fifth,worked out of a two-out jam in the sixth before getting tagged with thegame-winning shot by Felmy.
Brett Cleveland finished the game for State in the eighth, allowing theMorris home run and retiring the other three batters he faced.
LaNinfa went 2-for-3 and drove in all three Mississippi State runs. JeffreyRea and Ed Easley also had two hits for MSU.
Sophomore Ben Grisham drew a season-first start in left field as MSUadjusted its lineup following the Saturday injury to centerfielder JosephHunter. Butts moved from left to center for Hunter, who sustained a fracturein his right thumb in Saturday's 6-0 shutout win over Georgia.
MSU continues its five-game road run this week against South Alabama,playing the Jaguars in Mobile, Ala., Tuesday at 6 p.m. and in Jackson,Miss., Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. State returns to SEC action at home nextweekend, hosting Kentucky Apr. 22-24.
GEORGIA 6, MSU 3
MSU 020 100 000 --- 3-8-0UG 003 000 210 --- 6-11-1
WP --- Mitchell Boggs (3-3). LP --- Justin Pigott (0-1). HR --- BrianLaNinfa (1), Joey Side (4), Bobby Felmy (4), Josh Morris (7). T --- 2:18.ATT --- 3,010.
