The Mississippi State Bulldogs won two of three against Kentucky in their first SEC road series of the year. Left-handed pitcher Paul Maholm threw his second straight complete game to win the pitching duel and lead the Bulldogs to a 4-2 victory in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. After scoring a run in the first inning, MSU padded its lead in the third with first baseman Matthew Brinson’s two-run shot that cleared the left field wall. Meanwhile, Maholm had a one-hit shutout going after three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Maholm struck out his first opponent before getting into trouble. A single, an error and a wild pitch put Wildcat runners on second and third. Kentucky right fielder Gordon Tyler doubled to left field scoring both men and cutting the Bulldog lead to one. Maholm managed to escape the inning without further damage. MSU scored an insurance run in the sixth, but Maholm proved not to need it as he allowed only one hit in the last five innings.
The Wildcats got revenge in game two at the expense of Bulldog relievers and evened the series at one game apiece.
Tanner Brock started on the mound for State and held the Wildcats scoreless through the first four innings. Going into the bottom of the fifth, MSU owned a 5-0 lead, but UK center fielder Seth Morris hit a three-run homer off Brock with two outs, which narrowed the margin to two runs. After the Bulldogs added a run in the top of the sixth, Chris Young relieved Brock of his pitching duties. When a pair of singles put runners on first and second, Kentucky tied the game with another three-run blast, this time from designated hitter Spencer Graeter.
Jonathan Papelborn replaced Young on the mound to start the bottom of the seventh. After his first opponent grounded out, Morris stepped to the plate and delivered his second homerun of the game putting the Wildcats up 7-6. Each team added a run in the final innings, and Kentucky completed its comeback winning the game 8-7.
“You just don’t feel comfortable in this ballpark with a lead,” head coach Ron Polk said after seeing his Bulldogs give up a five-run lead.
MSU actually managed more hits in the game, but two of Kentucky’s three home runs were devastating.
“When you get seven RBIs via home run, it makes it a lot easier to win a ball game,” Polk said.
The Bulldogs took Sunday’s game decisively giving Polk his 900th win as head coach at Mississippi State. In the 13-3 win, State managed a season-best 19 hits, eight of which were doubles.
Left-handed pitcher Joey Collums shut out the Wildcats in his seven innings of work and allowed only four hits in the process. Left fielder Jon Mungle and center fielder Casey Long were perfect at the plate as they combined to go seven for seven. Robby Goodson made a rare start as designated hitter for the Bulldogs and made the most of it going three for four with two RBI. Maniscalco drove in three runs of his own, all coming from his first home run of the season.
The “Diamond Dawgs” are now 3-3 in SEC competition, but they will look to improve their overall record of 12-7-1 when the University of New Orleans comes to Dudy Noble on Tuesday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 27.