Goodson Powers State Past Bama With 5-RBI Night
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- No. 17 Mississippi State struck for five runs in the sixth inning and designated hitter Robby Goodson drove in a season-high five runs Friday night as the Bulldogs topped Alabama 11-8 in their series-opener at Dudy Noble Field.
The Bulldogs (37-15-1, 16-11) set SEC season-highs with 11 runs and 18 hits, erasing an early 2-0 deficit and pulling away from a 5-5 tie with the five-run burst. MSU sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning. Goodson, whose season-first two-run blast tied the game in the second, singled in a run in the third and added a two-run single in the sixth inning. All of Mississippi State's hits were singles except for Goodson's home run, including four by freshman right fielder Brad Corley.
Junior lefty Paul Maholm (8-2) picked up the win with six innings of mound work, matching a season-high with 10 strikeouts while giving up a season-most 12 hits. Three of those hits came in the fist inning when Adam Pavkovich and Beau Hearod singled and Zac Welch followed with a two-out run-scoring single to left. Maholm struck the second batter he faced in the second, Allen Rice, and then gave up an RBI double to Travis Garner.
Brad Corley opened the MSU second with a single and Goodson followed with the game-tying blast off UA starter Taylor Tankersley (6-4). Matthew Brinson singled, Craig Tatum walked and both came home in the third inning on Goodson's second hit of the game and a sacrifice fly by Jeff Butts.
Alabama (32-21, 13-15 SEC) got to Maholm for three more hits, all singles, in the fourth inning. Garner, from Starkville, Miss., delivered a clutch RBI single to cut the MSU lead to 4-3.
State answered when Matthew Maniscalco picked up the first of his three singles to open the fourth inning, stole second and scored on Tatum's liner up the middle.
The Tide chipped away, scoring single runs in the fifth and sixth inning. Maholm, after registering his ninth and 10th strikeouts to open the sixth, gave up a single to Garner, who stole second and raced home with the tying run on Hearod's single to left.
State parlayed four singles, two walks and an Alabama error into five runs that made a winner of Bulldog starter Maholm. Maholm gave way to freshman Jamie Gant, who pitched the final three innings to earn his first career save. Gant shut the Tide out in the seventh and ninth but was touched for a three-run, two-out home run by Pavkovich, his ninth of the year, in the eighth inning.
The Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide continue their weekend series at Dudy Noble Field Saturday at 2 p.m. MSU sophomore Alan Johnson (5-2, 4.00) will face Alabama sophomore lefty Brent Carter (8-5, 3.28). In pregame ceremonies, Mississippi State will salute its five senior players and two senior managers.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 11, ALABAMA 8
ALA 110 111 030 --- 8-14-1MSU 022 105 10x --- 11-18-0
WP -- Paul Maholm (8-2). LP -- Taylor Tankersley (6-4). SV -- Jamie Gant (1). HR -- (MSU) Robby Goodson (1), (UA) Adam Pavkovich (9). T -- 3:12. ATT -- 6,756 (paid), 4,802 (actual).
Paul Maholm, Jamie Gant and Craig Tatum. Taylor Tankersley , Eric Mennen, Jeffrey Norris.