Maloney Fires Two-Hit Shutout In 5-0 Win Over Mississippi State
Rebels win the suspended game from Friday 11-4.
April 30, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - Junior left-hander Matt Maloney fired a complete-game, two-hitter to lead No. 22 (Sports Weekly/ESPN) Ole Miss to a 5-0 win over arch-rival Mississippi State in game two of this weekend's three-game Southeastern Conference series Saturday afternoon, in front of 6,506 at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. Earlier in the day, the Rebels and Bulldogs completed the final inning of Friday's suspended game, with Ole Miss winning 11-4.
With the wins, the Rebels (31-13, 11-9 SEC) have won two straight SEC series over the Bulldogs (28-14, 9-10 SEC) for the first time since 1982. Ole Miss also pulled into a second-place tie with LSU in the SEC Western Division, one game behind first-place Alabama.
The Rebels can complete their first three-game sweep of the Bulldogs since 1978, when the two teams conclude the series Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. Junior left-hander Eric Fowler (2-2, 3.83 ERA) is scheduled to start for Ole Miss, opposite Mississippi State sophomore right-hander Jon Crosby (5-1, 2.70 ERA).
GAME 1- OLE MISS 11, MISSISSIPPI STATE 4
Ole Miss hit three home runs, including back-to-back solo shots by Barry Gunther and Zack Cozart in the seventh inning en route to an 11-4 series-opening win.
The game was delayed twice on Friday night due to lightning, before it was suspended at 9:52 p.m., due to heavy rain and lightning. The contest resumed at 2:31 p.m., Saturday afternoon.
Junior first baseman Stephen Head went 3-for-4 with two RBI, including a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Rebels a 7-3 lead. The homer was the 15th of the year for Head.
Junior right-hander Mark Holliman (5-1) worked seven innings to earn the win, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out six.
Mississippi State received home runs from Thomas Berkery and Brian LaNinfa. Berkery hit his fifth of the year with a solo shot in the second inning to tie the game at 1-1. LaNinfa belted his second of the season with a two-run blast in the fourth to make it 5-3.
Senior right-hander Alan Johnson (2-5) was tagged with the loss, allowing nine runs on 13 hits and four walks, while striking out three in 6 1/3 innings.
Ole Miss out-hit Mississippi State 15-7.
GAME 2 - OLE MISS 5, MISSISSIPPI STATE 0
Maloney (5-1) faced two batters over the minimum in recording his first career shutout and SEC win. He didn't allow a hit until LaNinfa singled in the fifth. The only other hit was a one-out single by pinch-hitter Michael Rutledge in the ninth.
The Rebels took a 1-0 lead when Gunther hit his second home run of the season.
Brian Pettway's RBI single in the sixth extended the lead to 2-0 and Gunther added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 3-0.
Ole Miss then tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on a two-run pinch-hit single by C.J. Ketchum.
Senior right-hander Todd Doolittle (4-5) was charged with the loss, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out four in seven innings.
Gunther finished 2-for-3 with two RBI as the Rebels out-hit the Bulldogs 5-2.
Ole Miss 11, Mississippi State 4 (Apr 29, 2005 at Oxford, Miss.)
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Mississippi State...010 200 100 - 4 7 0 (28-13, 9-9 SEC)
Ole Miss............140 200 22X - 11 15 0 (30-13, 10-9 SEC)
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Pitchers: Mississippi State - Johnson, A; Carver(7). Ole Miss - M. Holliman; Baumgardner(8).
Win-M. Holliman(5-1) Loss-Johnson, A(2-5) T-2:40 A-4166
HR MSU - Berkery (5); LaNinfa (2).
HR UM - Stephen Head (15); B. Gunther (1); Zack Cozart (5).
Ole Miss 5, Mississippi State 0 (Apr 30, 2005 at Oxford, Miss.)
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Mississippi State...000 000 000 - 0 2 0 (28-14, 9-10 SEC)
Ole Miss............010 001 12X - 5 5 0 (31-13, 11-9 SEC)
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Pitchers: Mississippi State - Doolittle; Pigott(8). Ole Miss - Matt Maloney.
Win-Matt Maloney(5-1) Loss-Doolittle(4-5) T-2:04 A-6506
HR UM - B. Gunther (2).
Game notes:
