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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
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Mississippi State
Kline Shuts Down Bulldogs In 3-1 Win; Vols Next
5/23/2007 | Baseball
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Ole Miss starter Will Kline struck out 10 batters and scattered eight hits to help lead the Rebels to a 3-1 victory over Mississippi State on Wednesday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
Ole Miss (36-21) scored two runs in the second inning on back-to-back RBI singles from C.J. Ketchum and Kyle Mills.
The Rebels increased their lead to 3-0 in the fifth despite having only one hit in the inning. A walk and a hit batter set up a run-scoring single by Justin Henry that brought home pinch-runner JoJo Tann from second base.
Mississippi State (33-19) squandered several early scoring opportunities by leaving five men on base through the first three innings.
The Bulldogs finally broke through in the fifth with an RBI single by Edward Easley that made the score 3-1. But Kline (6-2) avoided further damage by getting Mitch Moreland to ground into a double-play.
Kline settled down after that, allowing only one hit over the final four innings and retiring the final nine batters in order for the complete-game victory.
Justin Pigott (5-6) took the loss, giving up seven hits and three runs in seven innings.
Ole Miss right fielder Jordan Henry, the SEC freshman of the year, went 2-for-3 to extend his streak of reaching base to 45 consecutive games.
The Rebels will play Tennessee at 8 p.m. CT Thursday in the second round of the double-elimination tournament.
Ole Miss Quotes
Mike Bianco, Head Coach
On tonight's pitching...
"Will [Kline] was the difference in the game. He was so dominant against a very good Mississippi State offense. Every pitch was working for him. He pitched with a lot of emotion and effort and certainly we needed every part of it tonight. I thought the last two innings it looked like he hit another gear. He was sharp and dominating the strike zone."
On the hitting...
"There were some great at bats for the guys. I thought that Mill's two out at bat was huge and I think that [Justin] Henry's two out RBI that got us to three was important and extended the lead. Those two out RBI's are really deflated."
C.J. Ketchum, First Base
On the RBI and the game...
"We got some good base runners on that were able to get to [Mississippi State Pitcher] Justin Pigott. I was able to battle and he gave me a fastball that I was able to handle and came up with a hit. I like big fields because I'm a little slow. There's a little more outfield so I can get a double every now and then."
Will Kline, Pitcher
On the game...
"It's a big win to get off on the right foot in this tournament. I got the ball first today and wanted to come out and do everything I could to give my team the win. Tonight was a special a night because all three of my pitches were working for me. I feel that if that happens then it could be a good night all around."
Mississippi State Quotes
Ron Polk, Head Coach
Opening Comment...
"[Will] Kline was an ace today. Last time we faced him, logically i didn't think his command was good as it has been in the past. He was really tough tonight. We had a lot of opportunities early in the ballgame, but you do not get many opportunitues against [Will] Kline. So when you have them, you have to knock them in. We just did not do that tonight."
Justin Pigott, Pitcher
On pitching well tonight...
"It would have been nice to hold them and not let them get that run in the fifth. I had the opportunity to and i did not make the pitch. [Justin] Henry got the best of me that time. I was just trying to get us in the game and hold it to three. That is what you try to do and we came up short."
Jeffrey Rea, Right Field
On tonight's pitching...
"We outhit them 8-7, but they got the key hits. Will [Kline] got ahead of us and we couldn't get the big hit."
Ole Miss Notes
- Ole Miss is now 36-21, 17-14 in SEC play.
- The Rebels are 3-2 against the Bulldogs this season, 3-1 in conference action.
- Ole Miss is now .500 overall in the SEC tournament, and has won on opening day for the third straight year.
- Rebel pitcher Will Kline pitched his second complete game of the season, giving up one run on eight hits while striking out 10 and walking two through 9.0 innings.
- The Rebels will face Tennessee on Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
Mississippi State Notes
- Mississippi State is now 33-19, 15-14 in SEC play.
- State senior second baseman Jeffrey Rea had two hits, giving him 325 career hits and leaving him three shy of moving into second place on the school's all-time career hit list.
- The Bulldogs will face Vanderbilt on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.
