April 9, 2002

STARKVILLE, Miss. - MSU right-hander Jacob Blakeney allowed just two base runners after the first inning on his way to a career night as Mississippi State (18-11-1) defeated Samford 7-2 Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field. Samford dropped to 19-15 on the season.

Blakeney (1-2) held Samford to its season low of five hits giving up three of the hits in the first inning. After Cory Sumner led off the game with a single, junior right fielder Robert Evans drove the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for his fourth home run of the season to give Samford a 2-0 lead. But after the first inning Blakeney allowed just the two base runners and finished his career-longest seven-inning mound stint with six strikeouts for his first win of the season. Jonathan Papelbon followed Blakeney on the mound in the eighth, retiring the six batters he faced to register his fourth save.

Mississippi State answered Samford's two runs in the bottom of the inning. Matthew Maniscalco walked to open the MSU first and scored on a Matthew Brinson double down the right field line. State used four walks to tie the score in the second at 2-2 and took a 5-2 lead with three runs in the third. Michael Brown's bases-loaded single to left scored a pair and Casey Long's infield groundout drove in another.

State plated two more runs in the eighth to close out the scoring. Chad Henry drove in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right and Brinson followed with his second run-scoring hit, a single that scored Matthew Maniscalco.

Scott Fowler (2-2), the second of six Samford pitchers, took the loss. He walked four and allowed three runs on one hit in 2/3 of an inning.

The top four hitters in the Samford batting order combined for all six Samford hits, including two by designated hitter Major Allred.

Samford hits the road this weekend for a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference Series at Troy St. Friday's game is set for 6:30 p.m. with Saturday's doubleheader set for 1 p.m.