Auburn Clinches Series With 19-7 Romp Past MSU
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Auburn (27-15, 9-9 SEC) unleashed a 22-hit attack Sunday afternoon en route to a series-clinching 19-7 win over Mississippi State (23-15-1, 9-8) at Plainsman Park. It was the highest hits and runs total by a Bulldog opponent this season.
The Tigers scored three runs in the first and second innings and erupted for seven more in the fourth to take a 13-0 lead midway through the game. Sean Gamble and Jovan Moran went 4-for-6 and drove in three runs each and Doug Vines drove in four runs to pace the Tigers at the plate.
Auburn starter Levale Speigner (7-4) pitched a three-hit shutout through six innings before giving up a two-run home run to Steve Gendron, his first career home run, in the seventh. Speigner scattered five hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter during his seven-inning mound performance.
Matthew Brinson belted his fourth home run of the series with a three-run blast in the eighth off AU relief pitcher Cory Dueitt and J.B. Tucker added an RBI double during a two-run MSU ninth to complete the scoring.
Five of the first six batters faced by MSU starter Joey Collums (2-3) reached base, three of them scoring. Collums, the first of seven Bulldog hurlers in the game, gave up three runs on three hits with three walks in a season-shortest one-inning start. Jacob Blakeney was charged with 10 runs, six of them unearned, after following Collums in the second.
Steve Gendron and Casey Long had a pair of hits each to lead MSU's 10-hit attack.
The Bulldogs return to action Tuesday night, playing host to UAB in a 6:30 p.m. game at Dudy Noble Field.
AUBURN 19, MISSISSIPPI STATE 7MSU (23-15-1, 9-8 SEC) 000 000 232 -- 7-10-3AUB (27-15, 9-9 SEC) 330 700 42x -- 19-22-2WP -- Levale Speigner (7-4). LP -- Joey Collums(2-3). HR -- Matthew Brinson (10), Steve Gendron(1), Doug Vines (1). T -- 2:40. ATT -- 2,956.