Bulldogs Race To 10-0 Lead, Complete Doubleheader Sweep Of Rebels With 14-5 Win
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State scored 10 runs in the first two innings Saturday and cruised to a 14-5 win over Mississippi and a sweep of the Saturday doubleheader at Dudy Noble Field. The win clinches the weekend series for the Bulldogs (32-22-1, 13-15) and keeps MSU's hopes alive for a 16th straight berth in the SEC Baseball Tournament May 22-26 in Hoover, Ala.
State rode the complete-game pitching of Paul Maholm to a 12-2 win in Saturday's opening game.
The series concludes Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs got seven strong innings from starting pitcher Tanner Brock (7-4), who held the Rebels to four runs on nine hits, walked two and struck out four.
But it was the Mississippi State offense that stepped up in the nightcap. MSU piled up 14 hits, including three-hit plate performances by freshman left fielder Jon Mungle and senior center fielder Casey Long.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the first off UM starter Alan Horne (5-2) on a sacrifice fly, a fielding error in the outfield and an RBI single to right by catcher Jason Burkley. Horne left the game after walking the first three batters he faced in the second. But relief pitcher Adam Yates couldn't finish the inning, retiring Matthew Brinson on an RBI groundout and then giving up run-scoring hits by Steve Gendron and Mungle, a sacrifice fly by Brent Lewis and a two-run double by Robby Goodson.
Mississippi cut into the 10-0 Bulldog lead with a pair of runs in the third and another in the fourth. But State matched the UM burst with a three-run, four-hit fourth when four of the first five Bulldogs to bat in the inning reached on singles.
Eight of MSU's nine starters hit safely in the nightcap, and Brinson, Lewis and Goodson drove in two runs each.
Brian Owens replaced Brock in the eighth inning and allowed one unearned run and one hit in the final two frames.
Shortstop Chad Sterbens went 3-for-4 and drove in a run and first baseman Clint Farrar went 2-for-3 to lead UM at the plate.
The teams conclude the series and their 2002 regular season schedules in an important Sunday matchup. Either team could clinch a berth in the SEC Baseball Tournament with a win and both would advance to postseason play with an Auburn win over Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., Sunday afternoon. Auburn became the sixth team to clinch an SEC Tournament berth, scoring four runs in the 10th inning for a 7-3 win Saturday night at Arkansas.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 14, MISSISSIPPI 5UM 002 101 010 --- 5-10-3MSU 370 300 01x --- 14-14-3WP -- Tanner Brock (7-4). LP -- Alan Horne (5-2).T -- 3:04. ATT -- 7276 (paid), 5199 (actual).