Bulldogs Advance To SEC Tourney Title Game With 3-2 Win Over No. 8 Tennessee
May 29, 2005 | Baseball
HOOVER, Ala. -- Jeff Butts laced a run-scoring single past third base in the ninth inning Saturday afternoon lifting Mississippi State to a 3-2 win over eighth-ranked Tennessee and a berth in Sunday's championship game of the 2005 Southeastern Conference baseball tournament. State (39-20) will face state rival Mississippi in the 3 p.m. title game at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The game-winning hit capped a see-saw ninth inning that saw Tennessee (41-19) plate a pair of runs in the ninth to take a 2-1 lead before the Bulldogs (39-20) answered with two runs of its own to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
"We beat a fine Tennessee team here today," said Bulldog head coach Ron Polk. "I thought they hit the ball very well, but we turned a couple of big double plays and made some other fine defensive plays. And Jon Crosby pitched a great game. He didn't walk any of their guys, and that was a huge key to this win."
State jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Jeffrey Rea singled to open the MSU first. Rea advanced to second on a balk by UT starter Craig Cobb and raced home when Thomas Berkery singled up the middle.
It was the only run of the game until the ninth inning, thanks to a dandy pitching duel by starters Crosby and Cobb. Crosby, in the second-longest outing of his career, scattered 10 hits and was the beneficiary of double plays turned by the Bulldog defense in the fifth and sixth innings. Cobb, after giving up a run on two hits in the first, blanked the Bulldogs and did not allow two base-runners in the same inning until the ninth.
Crosby, who stranded seven base-runners in the first six innings, four of them in scoring position, left the game in the eighth after retiring the first two batters and then giving up a double to Chase Headley. Mike Valentine replaced Corsby and got out of the inning when center fielder Joseph Hunter tracked down a line drive by Kelly Edmundson to end the inning.
But MSU's tenuous 1-0 lead disappeared in the ninth. Rob Fitzgerald singled to right and Michael Rivera reached on a bunt single. On the play, Mike Valentine's throw to first base sailed down the right field lline, advancing the runners into scoring position. Joey Andrews then singled up the middle to plate the tying and go-ahead runs. Alex Suarez bunted Andrews on to second base but Valentine averted further damage by retiring the next UT hitters on infield groundouts.
Brad Corley greeted Cobb with a single to open the ninth and Brian LaNinfa followed with a double to left that knotted the score at 2-2. Tennessee brought in relief pitcher Sean Watson, and Watson struck out Joseph Hunter. Jeff Butts then stepped to the plate and delivered his game-winner.
Crosby gave up 10 hits but did not walk a batter in 7-2/3 innings. He struck out three. Valentine was charged with both runs, one earned, missing out on his team-leading fourth save but notching his sixth win in relief.
State reached double digits in hits for the ninth straight game. Ed Easley and Joseph Hunter had two hits each to lead State's 10-hit attack, which included doubles by LaNinfa aand Hunter. Fitzgerald went 3-for-4 to pace UT at the plate.
The win gave MSU its first 3-0 start in SEC postseason play since 1988 and its first 3-0 start in the current eight-team tournament format. State last advanced to the SEC Tournament title game in 2001, knocking off LSU 4-1 to earn the league's automatic qualifying berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday's championship game will be televised live regionally by FOX Sports Net.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 3, TENNESSEE 2
UT 000 000 002 --- 2-13-0MSU 100 000 002 --- 3-10-1WP --- Mike Valentine (6-0). LP --- Craig Cobb (6-4). T --- 2:13. ATT --- 5,446.
