Berkery's 12th-Inning Blast Sends State Past UM In SEC Tournament
HOOVER, Ala. -- Freshman Thomas Berkery's two-out solo home run in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted No. 14 Mississippi State to a 5-4 win over fifth-seeded Mississippi in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. It was the fourth Bulldog win in five meetings with the Rebels this season and boosted the Bulldogs on to an 8 p.m. winner's bracket pairing against top-seeded LSU. The Tigers nipped Arkansas 5-4 in the final SEC Tournament game Thursday night at the Hoover Met.
"It was an inside fastball," said Berkery, who powered UM relief pitcher Brae Wright's offering over the left field wall at the spacious Hoover Met, ending the three-hour and 52-minute marathon. "I watched him pound the right-handers in during the last inning. So I just looked for a good pitch and got it and put a good swing on it."
The Bulldogs scored single runs in the second and fourth innings and MSU junior lefty Paul Maholm limited the Rebels to a run on three hits over the first six innings. Maholm took a 3-2 lead into the ninth, retiring the first batter he faced before giving up back-to-back singles Dustin Cliburn and Matt Tolbert. MSU turned to relief ace Jonathan Papelbon, who retired UM lead-off batter John Swearingen on a pop fly and got ahead of Rebel center fielder Seth Smith 0-2. Smith then lined a game-tying RBI single just in front of a diving MSU left fielder Jeff Butts, scoring Cliburn. Papelbon's next pitch bounced to the screen, allowing pinch-runner Matt Mossberg to score from the third for a 4-3 UM lead.
State battled back in the bottom of the ninth to score the tying run and keep the game alive. Steve Gendron singled up the middle, advanced a base on a wild pitch and raced home on Craig Tatum's clutch double to left center. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the inning against Eric Folwer, the third of four UM pitchers in the game, but relief pitcher Brae Wright got out of the jam when J.B. Tucker's grounder to third base was turned into an inning-ending and game-extending double play.
The Bulldogs went to their bullpen again, getting freshman Jamie Gant into the game. Gant (4-1) pitched a scoreless 11th and 12th inning, allowing two base-runners, striking out three and earning the win with Berkery's walk-off home run.
The loss went to Wright (4-4), who allowed one run on two hits and struck out three over 3-1/3 innings. UM starter Stephen Head scattered nine hits, struck out six and allowed three runs over 6-1/3 innings.
The Bulldogs out-hit the Rebels 14-10. Berkery had three hits, singling in MSU's first run in the second inning and delivering the game-winning blast in the 12th, his sixth roundtripper of the year. Matthew Maniscalco doubled, singled and scored two runs, Matthew Brinson singled twice and drove in a run, Joseph Hunter singled twice and scored MSU's first run, and Tatum had two hits, including the game-tying double in the ninth. With his two hits, Maniscalco climbed into sixth place in career hits at MSU with 270, passing Rafael Palmeiro (1983-85).
Berkery went 3-for-6 with two RBIs for the Bulldogs. In addition to his home run, he had a second-inning RBI single that tied the game at 1-1.
"It was a tough game for Ole Miss to lose ... a great game for us to win," said Bulldog skipper Ron Polk. As the home team you get the last chance to get a game-pwinning home run. It was the first home run of the day and it may be the first in a while. With the wind blowing in this is a bear of a ball park to hit one out."
Swearingen was 3-for-6 for the Rebels. Maholm was charged with all four UM hits an came within two outs of his third career SEC Tournament win. He allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out three.
The Bulldogs are expected to send sophomore Alan Johnson (5-3, 4.08) to the hill for Friday's 8 p.m. winner's bracket matchup with top-seeded LSU (38-18-1). The Tigers have tabbed junior right-hander Nate Bumstead (9-2, 4.07) for Friday's start.
In the other tournament games Thursday, Auburn downed Vanderbilt 3-1 and Alabama upset South Carolina 9-7.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 5, MISSISSIPPI 4 (12 INNINGS)
UM 100 000 102 000 --- 4-11-1 MSU 010 010 101 001 --- 5-14-1
WP -- Jamie Gant (4-1). LP -- Brae Wright (4-4). HR -- Thomas Berkery (6). T -- 3:52. ATT -- 8,317.
Stephen Head, Anthony Cupps (7), Eric Fowler (9), Brae Wright (9) and Charlie Waite. Paul Maholm, Jonathan Papelbon (9), Jamie Gant (11) and Craig Tatum.