Bulldogs top UK 12-4
April 22, 2005 | Baseball
Official Game Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's Brad Corley recorded his third straight three-hit performance as the Bulldogs rallied past Kentucky 12-4 in college baseball action Friday night.
Corley drove in four runs, including a critical bases-clearing triple. The triple highlighted a four-run fourth inning and completed MSU's comeback from an early 4-0 deficit.
The victory improved MSU to 26-10 overall and 8-7 in SEC Western Division play. Kentucky fell to 19-18 overall and 2-13 in Eastern Division play. MSU is now in sole possession of second place in the Western Division race - 1 1/2 games behind Alabama, which is 10-6. Auburn, LSU, Arkansas and Ole Miss each have 8-8 records in league play.
The Bulldogs opened a modest five-game homestand on a good note, while winning the Friday night game in league play for a third time in six tries. MSU is now a league-best 19-2 on hits home diamond this season.
However, things did not start kindly for the Bulldogs Friday night. Kentucky roughed up MSU starter Alan Johnson for seven hits in the first two innings of play. In his shortest stint of the season, Johnson left with two outs in the second inning and his team trailing 4-0. Over the remainder of the contest, the MSU pitching trio of Jamie Gant, Mike Valentine and Saunders Ramsey allowed no runs and only two hits. Gant (1-0) threw four innings in his longest stint of the season to record the win.
MSU eventually pounded out 14 hits. The Bulldogs got the offense untracked with one run in the second inning and the four big scores in the fourth inning. All doubt was removed from the contest when MSU struck for six runs in the seventh inning. Prior to that outburst, the hosts held a slim 5-4 advantage.
Corley finished with his second triple and two singles. The MSU right fielder is now hitting .329 after Friday's play and a pair of three-hit contests against South Alabama in midweek competition. Ed Easley also had three hits for the Bulldogs. Thomas Berkery had two singles and two RBIs. A two-run home run by Berkery - his fourth of the season - gave MSU a 7-4 advantage and kick-started the big seventh inning. Also for MSU, an RBI single by Brad Jones in that seventh inning ran the Bulldog first baseman's hit streak to 14 straight games.
For Kentucky, J.B. Schmidt, Antone DeJesus and Shaun Lehmann each had two hits. The Wildcats finished with nine hits.
Craig Snipp (2-3) took the loss for Kentucky. Snipp worked three innings in relief of starter Kalen Gibson. Gibson was chased during MSU's four-run fourth inning.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats conclude their weekend SEC series with a 2 p.m. start Saturday and a 1:30 p.m. start Sunday. The five game homestand then wraps up with a pair of midweek contests against in-state rival Southern Mississippi. Those games are at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Dudy Noble Field.