The Mississippi State Bulldogs left Starkville Monday with high hopes for their midweek series against Southern Mississippi.
They returned two days later having suffered two losses, their starting pitching shelled, and their coach almost thrown in jail.
Tuesday: MSU 6, USM 13
The frustration of the last few weeks boiled over for skipper Ron Polk during Tuesday night’s 13-6 loss, as he was ejected and threatened with imprisonment after an extended argument with umpire Joseph Smith over several close calls at first base.
“Umpires are umpires, but he was just incompetent,” Polk said. “He was so scared out there. He was hyperventilating.”
Polk had been arguing with Smith at several points in the game, but in the top of the seventh frame, Polk apparently tipped the umpire past his breaking point and was unceremoniously tossed from the game.
Polk continued his rant, however, and followed Smith from all the way into right field with his antics before campus security along with local sheriff’s officers escorted him off the field and into the Southern Mississippi batting cage outside left field, where he would watch the remainder of the game with a soothing cigar pursed between his lips.
“I almost got thrown in jail,” Polk said after the game. “The lady policeman stuck her face in my face telling me to get off the field. I told her to get off the field. She said ‘you want to go to jail?’ I said ‘put the cuffs on, let’s go.'”
Polk said he recieved an apology from the event staff after the game.
“It was just one of those young, lady cops that thought she was marshal of the land and that a crime was being committed,” Polk said. “Unless I was strangling the guy or pulled a knife or something, that type of force was uncalled for.”
The antics stood no chance of being misconstrued as motivational tactics, as the Bulldogs were well out of the game when Polk was tossed.
Normal Friday starting pitcher Brooks Dunn was rocked for seven runs in the first frame and lasted only 1.2 innings to earn his fourth loss in five decisions.
The Bulldog offense fought back, and thanks to home runs by Edward Easley and Joseph Hunter in the second and third innings, the Diamond Dawgs had pulled almost even with the Eagles, 6-7, going into the bottom of the third inning.
That proximity did not last long, though, as reliever Mitch Moreland, in a career-longest outing of 2.1 innings, would allow three runs in the third to extend the Eagle lead.
Southern tacked on a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to earn the final margin of victory.
“I thought Mitch pitched well at times, that’s the first time he’s thrown an extended period,” Polk said of Moreland. “But we give up seven runs in the first and make it very difficult.”
Both Dunn and Wednesday’s starter Josh Johnson have struggled in recent conference play, forcing the remedial work in the midweek setting.
Easley paced the Bulldogs with three hits in the contest, while he and Hunter tied to lead the team with three runs batted in apiece.
Wednesday: MSU 3, USM 6
Thanks to his critical comments on Tuesday’s officiating, Polk was forced to watch Wednesday’s action far away from his usual third base box, joining MSU commentator Jim Ellis in the radio booth.
The Southeastern Conference suspended Polk for Wednesday night’s game as a reprimand for calling Smith “incompetent” following Tuesday’s loss.
The suspension was Polk’s first since 1995.
Wednesday’s outcome turned out to be just as undesirable, as the Bulldogs fell 6-3 to Southern Miss, giving the Eagles the season sweep.
The Bulldogs scored first in the top of the second, plating two runs on back-to-back singles by Brad Jones and Jeff Butts.
However, Johnson gave up three runs in the third, followed by three more Eagle runs in the fourth when right-handed pitcher Jon Lalor entered the game to give USM the victory.
Four Bulldogs finished with multiple hits in the game, but USM starter Ryan Belanger went 7.1 innings and strike out ten batters to keep the Bulldog offense mostly at bay.
Coming Up
This weekend the Dawgs will travel to Columbia, S.C. to tangle with the Gamecocks in yet another crucial SEC series.
“South Carolina’s a fine ballclub,” Polk said. “They’re strong at home (25-5) and have struggled on the road like everyone else.”
The Gamecocks are 11-7 in coference play and are tied with Kentucky for the Eastern Division lead.
The Bulldogs will try desperately to earn their first road series win since travelling to Baton Rouge, La., at the end of March.
“We had so many home games early, and we’ve got some late,” Polk said. “We knew the middle of the season was going to be tough, just not this tough. It seems like the games are almost coming too fast. We’ve struggled but the kids have kept their heads up.”
The Bulldogs will shake up their weekend rotation for the first time this weekend, starting freshman Aaron Weatherford tonight in favor of the struggling Dunn.
“Weatherford is a cool customer,” Polk said. “In hindsight, maybe I should have started him earlier.”
Dunn will be moved back one spot into the Saturday game, and Sunday’s starter has yet to be named.
Polk said depending on how many pitchers the team has to use earlier in the series, Sunday’s starter could be anyone from Johnson to Jon Lalor, Justin Pigott or Chad Crosswhite.
“We’re not down on any pitcher. We just need to try to get a lead,” Polk said. “It seems like we start every game lately down one or two runs.”