Maholm Goes The Distance Again In 10-3 SEC Tourney Win Over Georgia
HOOVER, Ala. -- Sophomore southpaw Paul Maholm turned in his sixth complete-game pitching performance of the season Thursday as Mississippi State (34-23-1) stayed alive in the SEC Tournament with a 10-3 win over Georgia (30-27).
The win advanced the Bulldogs to a 3 p.m. game Friday against the loser of Thursday evening's Alabama-Florida contest. It also eliminated Georgia, which lost its last seven games.
Maholm (10-3) pitched seven shutout innings before Georgia broke up the shutout with three runs in the eighth. It was the only scoring inning allowed by Maholm, who became MSU's first 10-game winner since 1998 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Jeremy Jackson (10-3). The second-team All-SEC selection allowed six hits, walked two and struck out six. He walked a batter and gave up three consecutive hits before retiring the next three batters on fly ball outs.
Mississippi State raced into the lead in its 10 a.m. matchup with Georgia.
Matthew Maniscalco and Chad Henry opened the game with singles and both came home when Robby Goodson singled into the right field corner. State expanded its lead to 4-0 in the second in similar fashion. Casey Long reached on a fielding error at third base to open the frame, Jon Mungle singled, and Henry delivered a two-run double to the gap in left-center field.
UG freshman lefty Mickey Westphal (5-5) was lifted after Brent Lewis opened the sixth inning with a double down the right field line. Lewis scored MSU's fifth run on a sacrifice fly to center field by Maniscalco.
The Bulldogs batted through the order and stretched the lead with a four-run, four-hit burst in the eighth. Henry singled in a pair of runs to finish the game with four RBI, matching a career high. Mungle singled in runs in the eighth and ninth and matched his career high with three hits.
Goodson extended his hitting streak to a career-best 10 games and Mungle's streak ran to nine games.
Mississippi State, winners in 13 of its last 15 games against Georgia, has won at least one game in 22 of its 23 SEC Tournament appearances.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 10, GEORGIA 3MSU 220 001 041 --- 10-14-1UG 000 000 030 --- 3- 6-2WP -- Paul Maholm (10-3). LP -- Mickey Westphal (5-5).T -- 2:30. ATT -- TBA