LaNinfa's Walk-Off Home Run Lifts MSU To Split In Saturday Twinbill
April 22, 2006 | Baseball
* Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Brian LaNinfa belted a two-run home run in the ninthinning Saturday afternoon lifting No. 15 Mississippi State (29-10, 8-8 SEC)to a 9-8 walk-off win over No. 12 Arkansas (29-12, 9-8 SEC). The win gaveMSU a split of the Saturday twinbill, which drew a paid attendance of 7,390to sun-drenched Dudy Noble Field. The two teams conclude the SEC weekendseries Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Arkansas claimed the opening game 6-2.
It was the second two-home run game of the week for LaNinfa, who sent twoblasts out of the park Tuesday night at the University of Memphis and nowleads Mississippi State with seven.
State built up leads of 4-1 and 7-5, but the Razorbacks battled back, tyingthe game at 7-7 with two runs in the seventh and taking their first lead ofthe game on Stephen Robison's RBI double off the bag at third base.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead offArkansas starter Trey Holloway. The lefty issued a two-out walk to EdwardEasley and gave up four consecutive hits, a run-scoring double by ThomasBerkery, a two-run home run by LaNinfa, a double by Joseph Hunter and arun-scoring base hit through the left side of the infield by JosephMcCaskill. Easley doubled and scored the game's first run in the firstinning on the first of his four base hits.
Arkansas, after scoring a run in the third, answered MSU's four-run burstwith a three-run inning on the strength of Blake Parker's two-out home runto left-center. It was Parker's sixth home run of the year.
Berkery singled home MSU runs in the fourth and sixth. Arkansas scored oncein the sixth and Danny Hamblin's two-run single knotted the score in theseventh off Bulldog relief man Brett Cleveland. Cleveland was replaced byJustin Pigott in the inning with two outs and runners at second and third.Pigott retired Brian Walker on an infield groundout to get out of theinning. But in the ninth the Razorbacks parlayed an infield single by MattWillard and Robison's shot into the left field corner for an 8-7 lead.
Pigott worked around a two-out single to pitch a scoreless ninth, settingthe stage for the Bulldogs' late-game dramatics. Brett Bollman (0-2), thelast of three Arkansas pitchers in the game, took the loss. MSU's lead-offhitter in the ninth, Edward Easley, reached on a fielding error atshortstop, and two batters later LaNinfa connected on a 3-1 offering thatsailed over the right-center field fence.
The blast made a winner of Pigott (4-0), who in 2-1/3 innings allowed threehits and saw his string of 20-1/3 innings without giving up an earned runend with Robison's double.
MSU starter Josh Johnson worked six innings, scattering six hits with fourwalks and three strikeouts while giving up five runs. Cleveland was chargedwith two runs on four hits and registered just two outs during his mound.
State got to Arkansas starter Trey Holloway for five runs on seven hits over2-2/3 innings, and brian McLelland allowed one unearned run in 2-1/3 inningsof middle relief.
