It might have been the Bulldogs’ best series of the year, but it was a game-three bottom of the ninth from perfection.
Mississippi State took two from No. 14 Auburn over the weekend, coming just short of its first SEC series sweep and its first .500 conference winning percentage since being at 2-2.
“We go into the series thinking it’ll be a great weekend if we win two,” coach Ron Polk said. “But then when you win two, you feel like you want to win number three. It was disappointing, but our kids rebound pretty good.”
Game 1
The first three Bulldog hitters-Jeffrey Rea, Steve Gendron and Brad Corley singled to start the game, and Rea and Gendron made it home for a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Tyler Scarbrough belted his first homerun of the year to extend State’s lead to 3-0.
“First pitch of the at bat, I just wanted to see something,” Scarbrough said referring to a curveball that missed. “The next pitch was perfect to hit. He (Mike Felix) left me a fastball up and out.”
Scarbrough also doubled to drive in the last MSU run as part of a three-run third that made it 6-0.
“He (Chris Dennis) left a fastball up again,” he said. “I was seeing the ball well and got lucky enough to drive it past the center fielder.”
Alan Johnson (3-1) registered the win after pitching into the seventh and allowing four runs on six hits. No Auburn player hit safely more than once.
“Without run support, there’s no telling what the outcome of the game is,” Johnson said. “Being up 6-0 is huge from a pitcher’s standpoint.”
Game 2
Ron Polk got tossed and the Bulldogs committed five errors, but they got clutch hits and won 9-8 in 13 innings.
After Josh Bell’s only hit scored a pair to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth, MSU forced extra innings.
State posted a run in the sixth and seventh innings and had Brian LaNinfa in scoring position with one out in the eighth. LaNinfa tried to tie the game by scoring from second on a Jeff Butts single, but Auburn right fielder Ben Sprague came up throwing and nailed LaNinfa at the plate. Butts stole second, though, and Rea delivered a two-out RBI-single to tie the game.
Four scoreless innings went before the Bulldogs struck in the 13th. LaNinfa tripled to left-center to lead off the inning. After a groundout that kept pinch runner Josh Thoms on third, Butts and Rea reached via walks to load the bases. Gendron followed with his third hit of the game-a double that scored three and gave MSU a 9-6 advantage.
Auburn gave a scare in its half, scoring two runs off four hits. With two men on base, though, Corley earned his first save by striking out Bell to end the game.
Auburn’s Tug Hulett paced the offense with a five-hit performance, but they all resulted in just one RBI and one run for the second baseman.
Game 3
Auburn’s Sean Gamble struggled during the weekend, going 2-for-16 with one RBI. Unfortunately for MSU, both hits came Sunday and the RBI was the game-winner.
Facing and retiring only one batter with a strikeout, Dennis logged the win for the Tigers.
Gendron recorded a double and a single in the 6-5 loss, completing the series with three multi-hit games.
Gendron scored in the top of the ninth on a Craig Tatum single to put the Bulldogs up 5-2, and a sweep looked imminent.
In his only at bat, Mike Hnytka singled with one out to start the rally. Then Gant, who had relieved starter Jeff Lacher in the eighth, walked Kyle Mayo. Also batting for the only time, Ben Maitland singled to bring home Hnytka. Hulett followed with a game-tying triple that sailed past Butts in left.
With the game-winning run on third and just one out, Gant whiffed Clete Thomas to give State a chance.
Saunders Ramsey then took the hill. With two strikes, Gamble ripped a single through the left side to send the Bulldogs home.