Bulldogs Top No. 14 Rebs 4-1 To Claim SEC Tourney Title
May 29, 2005 | Baseball
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 MSU closer Brett Cleveland strikes out the last batter. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) |
"I'm obviosuly proud of my guys for a great game out there today," said Bulldog skipper Ron Polk. "We had four great games this week, and today I thought we competed well with one of the best teams in the nation. We pitched well and fielded well, which is something you have to do against good-hitting ball clubs."
The Bulldogs struck for three runs in the third inning off UM ace Mark Holliman. Jeff Butts and Michael Rutledge opened the frames with doubles through the middle of the infield and Jeffrey Rea followed with a run-scoring double into the left field corner. Freshman Ed Easley laced a single to center field, driving in Rutledge and Rea. Holliman struck out Thomas Berkery and got Brad Jones to line into a double play to end the inning.
State extended its lead to 4-0 two innings later when Butts opened the fifth against relief pitcher Jon-Jon Hancock with his second home run, a blast that hit the right field foul pole.
The Rebels loaded the bases off Dunn in the sixth with a pair of singles and a walk, but Dunn struck out Mark Wright to end that threat. Mississippi broke scoring ice in the seventh. Zack Cozart drew a one-out walk, Barry Gunther singled sharply up the middle and Mile Franklin laced a single to right. Cozart scored on the play, but Brad Corley gunned down Gunther at third base for the second out of the inning. Relief man Brett Cleveland came on to end the rally and the inning, striking out Cooper Osteen.
Cleveland struck out four and blanked the Rebels with 2-1/3 innings of no-hit relief to earn his team-leading fourth save. "We came in as a seven seed, and there were some people out there that didn't feel as though we deserved to be here," said Dunn, who scattered five hits and allowed just one run in 6-2/3 innings, his second-longest career outing. "I think we proved to everyone that we belonged here."
Jeffrey Rea and Jeff Butts had two hits apiece and Ed Easley drove in two of MSU's four runs.
Barry Gunther had two of UM's five hits
UM starter Mark Holliman (7-4) took the loss for the Rebels, giving up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Jon-Jon Hancock allowed a run on two hits in 2-1/3 innings while Stephen Head struck out four and pitched the final 2-2/3 innings.
Rea, Butts, Easley and Rutledge hit safely in each game, while all four Bulldogs starters in the tournament worked six innings or better. State played error-free ball in the finale, finishing the week with two errors.
Three Bulldogs were named to the all-tournament team --- second baseman Jeffrey Rea, pitcher Todd Doolittle and outfielder Jeff Butts, who was tabbed as the tournament's MVP. Butts went 7-for-14 and drove in five runs.
Mississippi State now awaits a 10:30 a.m. (CDT) NCAA selection show announcing the 64-te am field of the 2005 NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Bulldogs, by virtue of the SEC Tournament title, earn the league's automatic qualifying bid for the regionals, set to begin June 3.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, MISSISSIPPI 1
UM 000 000 100 --- 1-5-0MSU 003 010 00x --- 4-9-0WP --- Brooks Dunn (6-2). LP --- Mark Holliman (7-4) . HR --- Jeff Butts (2). T --- 2:22 . ATT --- 12,290.
