Maholm Goes The Distance As State Tops UM In Opener 12-2
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Sophomore lefty Paul Maholm registered his fourth complete-game SEC victory of the season Saturday to lead Mississippi State (31-22-1, 12-15 SEC) to 12-2 win over instate rival Mississippi (37-14, 14-14) in the opening game of a twinbill at Dudy Noble Field. The win snapped a seven-game SEC losing skid for MSU.
Maholm (9-3), after giving up a pair of third inning runs, blanked the Rebels over the final six frames to earn the win. He scattered six hits, struck out four and walked two in his fifth route-going performance of the season.
The Bulldogs bunched their scoring in two consecutive innings, plating seven in the fifth off UM starter Pete Montrenes (9-6) and five more in the sixth against relief pitcher Al Simontis.
Steve Gendron went 3-for-5 and drove in three Bulldogs runs, two on a single in the fifth and another on a hit up the middle in the sixth.
Montrenes, after checking MSU on a walk and two singles through four innings, ran into problems in the fifth. Jason Burkley opened the inning with a single to left, and with one out Montrenes walked the next three batters. Chad Henry's single to right tied the game and Gendron's second hit of the game plated two runs to give the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead. Jon Mungle and Brent Lewis delivered two-out RBI hits and another run scored on a UM fielding error at third base.
Matthew Brinson lashed a two-run double to open a five-run burst by State in the fifth.
Robby Goodson extended his career-best hitting streak to six games with a pair of singles. Eight of MSU's nine starters hit safely, including two by Henry, one of eight Bulldog seniors saluted prior to the start of the Saturday doubleheader.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 12, MISSISSIPPI 2UM 002 000 000 - 2- 6-2MSU 000 075 00x - 12-12-2WP -- Paul Maholm (9-3). LP -- Pete Montrenes (8-6).T: 2:40. ATT: 7,276 (paid) 5,199 (actual).