MSU blanks Ole Miss
By Staff
MSU By Carver Rayburn / Staff writer
March 30, 2003
OXFORD Ole Miss failed to score a run for the second straight game, and Mississippi State got a complete game two-hitter out of sophomore Alan Johnson, as the Bulldogs beat the Rebels 7-0 in front of 5,752 fans Saturday at Swayze Field.
The back-to-back shutout losses are the first for Ole Miss (17-9, 5-3) since the Rebels fell to Mississippi State (21-3-1, 7-1) in 1990, 17-0 and 9-0.
The last time the Rebels scored a run was last Wednesday against Southern Miss in the bottom of the sixth, that's 20 innings without producing a run for those keeping score.
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said that mistakes on defense and lack of hitting cost Ole Miss the game.
if you win you feel a little better and get ready for next week."
Mississippi State freshman Craig Tatum got the Bulldogs all the run support they needed with a 361-foot, two-run blast over the right-field wall that seemed to be aimed at a sign that read "Butler Univ. Fan Club."
After Ole Miss pitcher T.J. Beam walked junior third baseman Brent Lewis, Tatum knocked in his teammate with the home run.
Johnson then retired 24 of the next 25 Ole Miss batters to earn his fourth victory of the year.
The Bulldogs added another run in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Matthew Brinson.
Senior shortstop Mathew Maniscalco added an infield single, and junior third baseman Steve Gendron moved Maniscalco to third base before Brinson was able to bring in the run for a 3-0 lead.
Mississippi State added insurance runs in the fourth and fifth.
The Bulldogs capitalized off three Rebels' errors in the fifth inning to add two runs to their total.
MSU tallied its final run of the game in the top of the ninth for the shut-out win.
Freshman outfielder Joseph Hunter reached first on a fielding error and eventually cross home plate on a Jon Mungle single.
Johnson pitched the complete game shutout for MSU giving up two hits striking out two and walking one.
Ole Miss' T.J. Beam pitched five innings giving up six runs on six hits and striking out six.
Nick Bradshaw came in to relieve Beam and pitched four innings giving up one run on one hit and striking out two.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State will resume play at 1:30 p.m. today.
MSU has a chance to do something to Ole Miss that has never happened before.
Completing a three-game sweep without allowing a run to score.blanks Ole Miss
