The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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MISSISSIPPI STATE
Baseball Team Falls To No. 10 Mississippi State
3/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - No. 10 Mississippi State (6-1) scored seven unearned runs with the help of six UAB errors to defeat the 27th-ranked Blazers 14-5 in baseball action Tuesday evening at Young Memorial Field. The loss snapped UAB's 14-game winning streak that dated back to last season.
Mississippi State got four runs in the top of the third inning. The Bulldogs were able to push two runs across on an error by shortstop Josh Miljavac that scored shortstop Matthew Maniscalco and left fielder Jon Mungle. Mississippi State then took a 5-1 lead on a double down the left field line designated hitter Brent Lewis that scored third baseman Steve Gendron and first baseman Matthew Brinson.
Mississippi State's other big inning came in the top of the eighth when the Bulldogs put four runs on the board, led by pinch hitter Thomas Berkery's three-run homer to left center field.
The Bulldogs were led by Brinson who went 3-for-4 with a home run, four runs scored and an RBI.
Catcher Eugene Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored to lead UAB. First baseman Daniel Hill was 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored for the Blazers. Overall, UAB posted nine hits in the 3:06 contest.
Cody Cillo (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season for UAB, working four innings and allowing seven runs, only three of which were earned, on five hits. He walked five and struck out four.
"I thought we tried to do too much early in the game," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "I thought Cody (Cillo) tried to force some pitches and we were just a little bit tight. We got out of our game. Mississippi State played like they normally play and we got out of our game and it hurt us. Sometimes when you have a streak for a long time and you win and things are going well, when it finally ends, sometimes it falls out and that is what happened tonight. We have to go back to work. We have three big games this weekend. We'll take this loss and learn from it."
Jonathan Papelbon (1-0) picked up the win for Mississippi State after coming on in relief of Bulldog starter Brad Corley. Papelbon worked three and two-thirds innings and gave up no runs on two hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Corley worked three and one-third innings and gave up four runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Blazers set the record for the best start in Conference USA and school history with their 13-0 run to start the season.
UAB returns to Young Memorial Field Friday to take on Louisiana-Monroe at 6 p.m. in the first of a three-game series. Saturday, UAB will face the Indians at 3 p.m. and Sunday, the teams will square off at 1 p.m.
