By By Mark Etheridge / special to The Star
May 13, 2002
TUSCALOOSA Mississippi State's woes continued as Alabama completed a three-game sweep with a decisive 11-4 win on Senior Day at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide jumped on MSU for eight runs in a first inning that included a pair of homers one a grand slam.
Sunday's setback was the seventh consecutive SEC loss for Mississippi State and paired with the Razorback sweep in Oxford, sent the Bulldogs falling into ninth place in the overall SEC race one game behind Arkansas.
Bama loaded the bases in the first as MSU starter Joey Collums (3-6) had trouble finding the plate. Collums walked the first two hitters Scott McClanahan and Adam Pavkovich before hitting the third batter, Peter Stonard. Cleanup hitter Jeremy Brown then laced a two-run single into right-center scoring McClanahan and Pavkovich. Stonard scored as ball four to Travis Garner sailed to the screen for a wild pitch. That ended the day after a third of the inning for Collums.
Jacob Blakeney came in and walked Beau Hearod to load the bases. Grant
Redding then lifted a high fly to right that carried into the foul pole for a grand slam.
said. "I was thinking, please stay in, please stay in.' It was pretty exciting a grand slam in the first inning."
After Allen Rice grounded out, McClanahan hit his team-leading 11th
homer of the season. The senior centerfielder homered in all three games
of this series.
crowd," McClanahan said. "Winning and sweeping all three games is what
we needed to do."
In the third, McClanahan was hit by a Blakeney pitch. He promptly stole
second and scored on Pavkovich single.
Alabama starter Sanders (8-1) gave the Tide another quality start. He
pitched into the ninth scattering nine hits and four runs one earned
dropping his ERA to an even 3.00.
MSU finally got to Sanders in the sixth. Catcher J.B. Tucker reached on a
Pavkovich error. Matthew Maniscalco and Chad Henry followed with
singles. Matthew Brinson walked to force in a run. Steve Gendron plated
a run on a groundout. Brent Lewis capped the scoring in the inning with
an RBI single.
Bama added a run in the sixth as a Brown single plated Stonard. The Tide
added another in the seventh as Garner doubled and advanced on a pair of
groundouts.
Bama reliever Jared Woodward started the ninth inning but had to leave
after taking a liner off his elbow. MSU loaded the bases in the ninth with three consecutive singles. Maniscalco plated one run with a grounder to third. Taylor Tankersley struck out Enrico Jones and got Matthew Brinson to ground out to end the game.
Wells. "Overall we played pretty solidly. You can win a game at any time
and we put a dent into winning it in the first inning."
Mississippi State will return to the state of Alabama for midweek
contests versus Samford and UAB before completing its regular season
hosting Ole Miss next weekend. Alabama hosts Mississippi Valley State
Tuesday before traveling to LSU for the SEC finale.