Pigott Tosses Complete-Game Three-Hitter As Bulldogs Clinch Florida Series With 8-1 Win
May 06, 2006 | Baseball
* Official Statistics
* Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Sophomore left-hander Justin Pigott went the distance and scattered three hits in his second career start leading No. 21 Mississippi State (33-15, 11-11 SEC) to an 8-1 win over defending SEC champion Florida (24-25, 6-17 SEC) in the first game of Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Dudy Noble Field. The series-clincher win ended a run of five straight league series losses and a run of five consecutive series wins for the Gators.
The Bulldogs scored seven unearned runs in the fifth inning to break a scoreless deadlock. MSU collected five hits off UF starter Bryan Ball (4-8) in the inning and were helped along by a pair of Florida fielding miscues. Brian LaNinfa and Mitch Moreland had run scoring singles and Joseph Hunter ripped a two-run double into the left-center gap. The inning was extended when right-fielder Brian Leclerc dropped a third-out fly ball. Moreland and Hunter followed the error with their run-scoring hits and Brad Jones drove in another with a triple into the rightfield corner that ended Ball's stay in the game.
Pigott, making his second career start in as many weekends, retired the first seven batters in the game and faced one batter over the minimum through six innings. He struck 2005 SEC Player of the Year Matt LaPorta with a one-out pitch in the seventh and a single to right by Gavin Dickey that was misplayed, allowing LaPorta to score the Gators' lone run of the game. Pigott allowed three hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk in an efficient 83-pitch performance.
It was the second straight complete-game pitching performance for MSU pitching. Senior lefty Brooks Dunn struck out a career-high 11 Friday night in State's 6-2 win over the Gators. Pigott, who leads the SEC with an sterling 0.94 earned run average, improved to 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play.
Thomas Berkery and Brad Jones had two hits each while both Jones and Hunter drove in two runs.
Matt Richardson doubled and scored on a single by Jones in the seventh inning to complete the scoring.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 8, FLORIDA 1
UF 000 000 100 --- 1- 3-2MSU 000 070 10x --- 8-12-2WP --- Justin Pigott (5-0). LP --- Bryan Ball (4-8). T --- 2:11. ATT --- 3,337 (6,614 paid).
