It’s the bottom of the final inning with one out, Matthew Maniscalco on third and Chad Henry at the plate in a 6-6 ball game. Henry hits a fly ball to center field. Maniscalco tags up when the catch is made and darts for home. The throw is on the money, and within the same split second, Maniscalco dives for home plate, the ball arrives and the tag is made. The crowd awaits the umpire’s decision. It’s all over! The Bulldogs tie?! Mississippi State tied Ohio State on Sunday to wrap up the NBC Classic with one win, one loss and one tie, in that order. The tie, which was determined because of the Buckeyes’ travel plans, marked the end of a 29-year, 1,642-game period in which the Bulldogs did not tie a baseball game.
Ohio State and UAB made the trip to Dudy Noble Field to compete in the Classic. OSU came out to be the biggest winners going 3-0-1 while UAB failed to win a game in their three outings.
In the weekend’s opening game, Ohio State shut out UAB by scoring a run in each of the last two innings to win the pitching duel 2-0.
UAB would stay on the field for Friday’s second game to take on the Bulldogs. Right-handed pitcher Tanner Brock led the Bulldogs to a season-opening victory (4-2) and allowed only one hit in seven innings pitched. On the offensive end, left fielder Michael Brown got two hits and two RBI in his four at bats.
Ohio State had the doubleheader on Saturday taking on Mississippi State in the first game.
State’s left-hander Paul Maholm struggled early on the mound and allowed hits in the first two innings, but he was able to close out both innings without giving up a run. On the other hand, Ohio State’s starting pitcher, left-hander Josh Newman, struck out three of his first four opponents and retired the Bulldog batters the first two innings with relative ease.
In the top of the third, OSU got on the board with an RBI double from right fielder Doug Deeds after Maholm walked the previous two batters. Maholm would stop the bleeding, however, when he forced a groundout with the runners staying and struck out the next batter. The Bulldogs failed to answer in the bottom half of the inning as they went three up, three down.
The Buckeyes added a run to open the fourth inning, putting them ahead 2-0. MSU immediately responded when an Ohio State error put runners on first and second. The next batter, second baseman Henry, capitalized with two outs when he drove in Steve Gendron for the Bulldogs’ first score. Maholm would get in trouble again in the next inning. With runners on second and third, Buckeye catcher Joe Wilkins brought both runners home with a single to left field. Left-hander Steven Dowe would come in to relieve Maholm and close out the inning, leaving OSU with a 4-1 lead.
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Buckeyes struck again to open the seventh. Problems in the outfield along with a walk loaded the bases, and Wilkins added his third and fourth RBI of the day with a single to right. A double play ended the inning with the Bulldogs trailing by five.
Each team added a run in the eighth inning, and OSU would score two in the ninth to go up 9-2, which would be the final score. Newman was finally pulled off the mound for Ohio State after eight innings of work that included nine strikeouts and only one earned run allowed.
Ohio State took on UAB again in the next game. The score was tied (3-3) at the end of nine innings, but Ohio State was able to score a run in the 10th to win the game.
The final game of the Classic was on Sunday with the Bulldogs set for a rematch against the Buckeyes. Left-hander Joey Collums started on the mound for Mississippi State, and Scott Lewis, another lefty, started for OSU.
Ohio State jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first two innings. The next three innings were scoreless, but the Bulldogs got their first run in the sixth when Gendron singled with the bases loaded.
Right-handed pitcher Chris Young, who had replaced Collums to begin the sixth inning, began having problems of his own in the seventh. With two runners on base and one out, Ohio State’s Drew Anderson drove in a run with his second hit of the game. A sacrifice fly scored another run, and Anderson would be singled in to put the Buckeyes up 6-1, a deficit that would not likely be overcome.
Mississippi State regained hope, however, in the bottom of the seventh.
In his first game as a starter for State, designated hitter J.B. Tucker hit a home run that cut the Buckeye lead to four. The next batter, third baseman Brent Lewis, hit a solo shot of his own to make it a 6-3 ball game. MSU would load the bases before the inning ended, but they left three runners stranded for the second straight inning.
Left-hander Brian Owens relieved Young of pitching duties to begin the eighth. He gave up a single from the first batter he faced, Christian Snavely, but he would pick off Snavely in a rundown and finish the inning without allowing a run.
In the bottom of the eighth, Tucker got on base with a walk and Lewis singled to right put men on first and second for the Bulldogs. Center fielder Casey Long followed with a single up the middle that scored Tucker. Shortstop Maniscalco singled to score Lewis and advance Long to third. A pickoff attempt turned into disaster for the Buckeyes when the throw got by the first baseman allowing Long to tie the game at six and Maniscalco to go all the way to third base.
After Maniscalco was gunned down at the plate by OSU center fielder Mike Rabin to end the eighth inning, the coaches agreed to call the game a tie. Incidentally, head coach Ron Polk had never tied a college baseball game in his previous 1,658 games of coaching.
Game 1–Mississippi State 4, UAB 2
No line score available
Game 2–Ohio State 9, Mississippi State 2
OSU 001 120 212 — 9-12-1
MSU 000 100 010 — 2-7-1
WP–Newman (1-0). LP–Paul Maholm (0-1).
Time–2:50. Attendance–4,090.
Game 3–Mississippi State 6, Ohio State 6
OSU 210 000 30 —- 6-10-2
MSU 000 001 23 —- 6-12-2
*Game called after eight innings due to OSU travel arrangements.
HR–(MSU) J.B. Tucker (1), Brent Lewis (1). Time 2:44. Attendacne–3,006.