Dogs Use Long Ball Power In 20-4 Win At UAB
March 14, 2006 | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mississippi State hit a season-high four homeruns, including a career-first grand slam by Joseph Hunter as thesixth-ranked Bulldogs (12-0) pounded out a 20-4 win over UAB Tuesdaynight at Jerry D. Young Memorial Field. The win extended the Bulldogs'season-opening winning streak to 12 games.
Mitch Moreland's two-run home run gave State a 2-1 lead in the secondinning, Andy Rice opened the Bulldogs' three-run fifth with a soloblast and Hunter sparked a seven-run Bulldog burst with his first homerun of the year, a bases-loaded shot to left. Designated hitter JosephMcCaskill capped the long-ball display with a two-run shot to right inthe eighth inning.
The Bulldogs out-hit the Blazers 14-7, with 12 of the 24 Diamond Dogsthat got into the game registering at least one hit. Thomas Berkery andMitch Moreland had two hits each while Hunter drove in four runs andBerkery, Moreland and McCaskill added two RBI apiece.
UAB plated a first inning run off MSU starter Jon Crosby when sevenBlazers came to bat. But Crosby settled down to blank UAB over the nextthree frames while the Bulldogs took control of the game with four runsoff UAB starter Ben Styes (2-1). Crosby allowed three runs on four hitswith four walks and two strikeouts. Mitch Moreland, Trent Hill and JesseCarver worked the final four frames. Berkery extended his currenthitting streak to a career-best nine games and has hit safely in all butone of MSU's opening 12 games.
The Blazers, who entered the game riding a seven-game winning streak,got a 3-for-4 plate performance from Phillip Bell and a two-double,two-RBI night from John Wayne Donahue. But UAB's nine pitcherscombined for a school-record 16 walks, hit three batters and balked in arun.
Mississippi State continues its midweek swing to Alabama Wednesday atJacksonville State. Freshman Matt Lea (1-0) is due to start for theBulldogs opposite JSU ace sophomore Donovan Hand (2-0), the 2005freshman of the year in the Ohio Valley Conference.
State opens SEC competition this weekend at Dudy Noble Field, hostingfifth-ranked Tennessee in a three-game series.
