Lea Earns Win In Debut As State Tops ULM 7-2
* Official Statistics
* Official Statistics (PDF)
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Freshman pitcher Matt Lea earned a win in his Mississippi State debut and Mitch Moreland delivered a pair of run scoring hits Wednesday as the sixth-ranked Bulldogs (8-0) stayed unbeaten with a 7-2 win over Louisiana-Monroe (0-15).
Lea, the son of former Major League pitcher Charlie Lea, allowed two runs on four hits and struck out five in five innings of work. He walked two batters to open the second inning and both scored, the first on Chris LaBorde's loop single to shallow center field and another on Greg Manley's infield groundout that tied the score at 2-2.
The Bulldogs jumped out to the early lead, scoring twice in the first inning when ULM starter David Mixon faced eight MSU batters. Jeffrey Rea opened the game with a single to left and later scored on Thomas Berkery's single to right. Berkery came home three batters later on a sacrifice fly by Andy Rice, Rice went 2-for-3, singling and scoring a run in the fifth inning and lacing a double in the seventh.
Moreland walked and scored the go-ahead run on a Berkery sacrifice fly to center field, doubled in a run in the fourth inning and an inning later followed up Jeff Butts' two-out double with a run-scoring single up the middle.
Daniel Roberts (0-2), the second of five ULM pitchers in the game, took the loss. He was charged with three runs on three hits during his 2-1/3-inning relief stint.
Four Bulldog relief pitchers --- Aaron Weatherford, Chad Crosswhite, Justin Pigott and Brett Cleveland each worked a scoreless inning of relief to close out the game for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs return to action Friday, beginning a three-game weekend series against the Arizona Wildcats (10-5) at 4 p.m. to open the sixth annual Cadence Bank Classic. The teams meet Saturday at 2 p.m. and close out the series with a 1:30 p.m. contest Sunday.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 7, UL-MONROE 2
ULM 020 000 000 - 2-7-0MSU 210 220 00x - 7-13-0WP --- Matt Lea (1-0) . LP --- Daniel Roberts (0-2).T --- 2:33. ATT ---1,646 (6,236 paid).