Tennyson Goes The Distance As UK Evens Series, 12-5
April 23, 2005 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Kentucky junior Aaron Tennyson fired a career-first complete-game Saturday leading the Wildcats (20-18, 3-13) to a lop-sided 12-5 win over No. 29 Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field. The UK win sets up a series-deciding third game Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Tennyson gave up five runs (three earned) on 15 hits with three strikeouts in a 139-pitch effort against Mississippi State (26-11, 8-8 SEC).
The Wildcats staked Tennyson to an early 8-0 lead, striking for four runs in the second and third frames. State starter Todd Doolittle, who tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout a week ago at Georgia, was touched for four runs in the second and was charged with three more before departing the game two outs into the third. Ryan Wilkes doubled in two runs in the second and Antone DeJesus drove in three more with a double to left field. DeJesus and Wilkes each chipped in four-RBI performances while lead-off batter J.B. Schmidt went 4-for-5.
The Bulldogs out-hit UK 15-14 but hit into a pair of rally-killing double plays and left 13 runners on base.
"Tennyson did what you need to do when you have a lead - throw strikes," said Bulldog skipper Ron Polk. "And they showed today how dangerous they are offensively. They got the hits at the right time and we didn't, although we probably hit the ball better today than we did yesterday."
State put its first two base-runners on in the second but hit into a double play and left the bases loaded without scoring in the third. Jeff Butts singled in the bulldogs' first run during a two-run fourth that trimmed the UK lead to 8-2. State plated single unearned runs in the sixth and eighth and got a pinch-hit RBI single from Joseph McCaskill in the ninth. Butts had three hits on the day while Ed Easley and Brian LaNinfa delivered two-hit plate performances. Thomas Berkery drove in a pair of runs with sacrifice flies while Brad Jones extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games, 12 in SEC play.
Josh Johnson scattered eight hits and allowed five runs in four innings of relief, while senior lefty Eric Ebers allowed one hit, fanned three and shut out the Wildcats over the final 2-1/3 innings.
The series concludes with a deciding third game Sunday at 1:30 p.m. MSU will open with sophomore righty Jon Crosby (5-1, 2.89) while UK will counter with freshman lefty Andrew Albers (3-4, 5.61).
KENTUCKY 12, MSU 5
UK (20-18) 044 012 100 -- 12-14-3MSU (26-11) 000 201 011 -- 5-15-3WP - Aaron Tennyson (5-1). LP - Todd Doolittle (4-4). T - 2:47. ATT - 3,418 (6,647 paid)
