Long ball gives Auburn series win

By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
April 14, 2003
STARKVILLE In the span of three days, the No. 6-ranked Mississippi State University baseball team went from sitting on top of the Southeastern Conference West Division to finding itself looking up from third place in the standings.
The Bulldogs (25-7-1, 10-4 SEC) dropped the final game of their three game series to the No. 5-ranked Auburn University Tigers (29-8, 11-4 SEC) on a sun-soaked Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field 7-3.
The Tigers moved to second place in the West winning the three-game series over the Bulldogs 2-1, and the Louisiana State University Tigers (24-11-1, 11-3-1 SEC) take over first place in the division.
Auburn earned the series-ending victory curtesy of the long ball.
The Tigers blasted two round trip shots against the Bulldogs for six of their runs in the win.
Auburn received its first home run of the game from an unlikely source in its line-up.
Tigers shortstop Chuck Jeroloman, who entered the game hitting .244, with one home run, smacked a two-run homer from the ninth spot in the batting order.
The Auburn sophomore sent a second-pitch offering from MSU starting pitcher Todd Nicholas (3-1) just to the right of the left-field foul pole to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
Tigers catcher Josh Bell, who batted in the seventh spot of the order, whacked the visiting team's second home run of the game in the fifth inning, with the bases loaded.
The Auburn freshman powered his grand slam over the left-field fence off MSU's second relief pitcher of the game, Saunders Ramsey. Nicholas left the game after giving up back-to-back singles at the start of the fifth, and MSU freshman reliever Brooks Dunn faced three batters before being pulled in favor of Ramsey.
Bell's round-trip blast gave Auburn a comfortable 7-1 advantage, the Tigers first run of the fifth came curtesy of a sacrifice fly to center field, with the bases load, by third baseman Scott Schade.
Auburn's Colby Paxton (4-1) record the victory allowing two runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings, with two strike outs.
The Tigers bullpen combined to allow one run on four hits over the last 3 2/3 innings, as the Bulldogs again struggled to drive in runs.
MSU stranded 11 runners on the base path in its second loss in as many days, the Bulldogs left 14 runners on base in Saturday's loss.
The Bulldogs also out hit the Tigers 14-10 in the loss.
Gendron went 3-for-5 at the plate for MSU, and designated hitter went 3-for-4 in the loss.
Bell went 2-for-4 for Auburn, and Jeroloman went 1-for-3.
MSU continues its season against Mississippi Valley State University at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Dudy Noble.