Mississippi State Takes Series From Volunteers With 7-3 Victory

Sunday, April 27

Starkville

2:05 p.m.

Mississippi State

18-26, 0

Tennessee

25-19, 0

Tennessee

Mississippi State

Hogs Salvage Game Three As Polk Bids Farewell To MSU Baseball

Mississippi State Takes Series From Volunteers With 7-3 Victory

April 27, 2008 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

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STARKVILLE, Miss. - A Grant Hogue RBI-double sparked a four-run seventh inning as Mississippi State squeezed past Tennessee 7-3 in college baseball action Sunday at Dudy Noble Field.

The Bulldogs broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the seventh inning to take their first conference series of the year. MSU improved to 18-26 overall and 6-15 in conference play, while Tennessee fell to 25-19 and 11-10. The Bulldogs won Friady's opener, 4-3 in 12 innings, before the Volunteers bounced back to take a 12-9 victory Saturday afternoon.

Finally, good fortune fell the Bulldogs' way, as MSU took the third and deciding game in a series for the first time in four tries this season. The MSU victory matched its largest margin of victory in a league contest - equaling a 4-0 win over Ole Miss earlier in the season. The Sunday contest was delayed 37 minutes at the start by rain and was called with two outs and MSU batting in the home half of the eighth inning.

Tennessee scored first with a lone run in the third inning. Danny Lima reached on an infield error and took second base on the same play. Lima then scored on an RBI-single by Cody Grisham.

MSU answered with a run in its half of the third inning. Ryan Duffy singled, advanced to second base on a groundout and scored on an RBI-single by Mark Goforth.

The Bulldogs grabbed a 2-1 lead by scoring another single run in the fourth inning. Russ Sneed doubled and Tyler Moore singled to start this threat. Sneed later scored when a failed pickoff attempt resulted in a bad throw by the UT catcher.

The Volunteers grabbed a 3-2 lead with two runs in the sixth inning. Josh Liles had a ladoff single in that at-bat. Liles scored on an RBI-double by Yan Gomes. UT then took the lead on an RBI-single by Jeff Lockwood.

MSU tied the contest in its half of the sixth inning when Tyler Moore hit his 10th home run of the season - a towering shot over the right field fence.

The Bulldogs then put the contest away with four runs in the seventh inning. Duffy doubled to start the inning. Ryan Powers reached as a hit batsman. With the UT defense drawn in for a bunt attempt, Hogue smashed his double through a vacant hole next to the second base bag. After a ground out, Russ Sneed was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cody Freeman also drew a walk, forcing in another run. Moore then capped his three-hit day with a two-run single to left field.

The Bulldogs finished with 11 hits. Duffy and Hogue each had two hits to join Moore in the multiple hit column.

The Volunteers finished with seven hits. Lockwood led the UT offense with three hits.

Justin Pigott started for MSU and worked 5-1/3 innings. Pigott allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), with one walk and one strikeout. Winning pitcher John Lalor (3-3) threw 1-2/3 innings of shutout relief. Aaron Weatherford worked around one hit and struck out the side in his only inning of work - the UT eighth inning.

Ty'Relle Harris (2-1) took the loss for UT. Harris worked six innings, alllowing nine hits and six runs (all earned), with one walk and six strikeouts. Joey Rosas faced two batters in the MSU seventh inning, while Danny Wiltz worked the Volunteers out of the seventh inning and completed the contest.

MSU will take a break from midweek competition due to final exams for the spring semester. The Bulldogs travel to Auburn to resume SEC play next weekend. Game times at Auburn are 6 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.