Mississippi State
Arkansas
Bulldogs Rally In Ninth To Upend No. 5 Arkansas 5-3
May 25, 2005 | Baseball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Mississippi State struck for four runs in the top of the ninth Friday night to register a 5-3 win over fifth-ranked Arkansas before a boisterous crowd of 6,962 at Baum Stadium/Cole Field.
Two of the runs scored on bases-loaded wild pitches by Arkansas relief pitcher Charley Boyce (3-3) and two more scored when Jeffrey Rea lashed a double into the left field corner.
Junior righty Brett Cleveland (2-0) worked 2-2/3 innings in relief of starter Alan Johnson to earn the win.
Arkansas plated a pair of runs off Johnson to take a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Craig Gentry and Clint Arnold singled to right in the inning and raced home on a double down the left field line by SEC hitting leader Casey Rowlett.
The Bulldogs cut the lead in the fifth when Jeff Butts ripped his first career home run to right off Arkansas ace Nick Schmidt. Schmidt had worked out of a bases-loaded jam and allowed one run on four hits over his seven-inning stint.
Johnson scattered eight hits and was charged with two runs during his 6-1/3 inning start, departing the game in the seventh after giving up a one-out single to Clint Arnold, Arnold finished the night with three of Arkansas' 10 hits.
Arkansas scored a run in the eighth to stake Boyce to a 3-1 lead. Cleveland walked lead-off batter Jake Dugger, who advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and an infield groundout and then scored on Scott Hode's sharply-hit single up the middle.
The Bulldogs battled back in the ninth. Joseph Hunter extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a lead-off single. Bunky Kateon added a one-out single and with two outs Ed Easley was struck by a pitch to load the bases. Boyce uncorked the first of two wild pitches in the inning to score Hunter. Butts drew a walk to re-load the bases, Rea followed with his game-winning double, and a second Boyce wild pitch sent Butts across the plate.
The game ended with additional dramatics, as Arkansas loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth. Cleveland walked the lead-off batter, struck out Arnold and retired Scott Bridges on a fly ball to left. Rowlett then laced a double past first base and Jake Dugger drew a walk to load the bases before shortstop Bunky Kateon snared a Danny Hamblin grounder and retired Dugger at second base with a quick toss to Jeffrey Rea.
Bulldog skipper Ron Polk was not around for the final out, being ejected by plate umpire Scott Erby after disputing a ball four call by Erby on a base-loading two-out walk to Dugger.
Cleveland allowed a run on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 2-2/3 innings of relief.
Rea, Kateon and Butts had two hits each to account for all but two of MSU's eight hits.
The series continues Saturday at 3:05 p.m., with the Bulldogs tabbing senior righty Todd Doolittle (2-1, 4.70) for starting mound duties.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 5, ARKANSAS 3
MSU (16-3, 3-1 SEC) 000 010 004 --- 5-8-0ARK (20-3, 2-2 SEC) 002 000 010 --- 3-10-2WP --- Brett Cleveland (2-0). LP --- Charley Boyce (3-3). HR --- Jeff Butts (1). T --- 3:27. ATT *- 6,962
