STARKVILLE, Miss. — Pinch-hitter Brett Whitaker hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the top of the 10th inning Saturday afternoon to lift Alabama to a 5-4 victory over Mississippi State in the first game of a doubleheader at Polk-DeMent Stadium.
The Crimson Tide completed the doubleheader sweep with another 5-4 victory in the second game as catcher Brock Bennett went 3 for 4 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored.
Whitaker picked a good time to get his first hit of the season in the opening game. He was 0 for 8 on the year, but he smashed closer Caleb Reed’s first pitch of the 10th inning over the left-center field wall to give the Crimson Tide the victory (28-18, 10-10 SEC).
Reed (0-1) took the loss for Mississippi State (24-18, 7-13), while Alabama closer Jonathan Smart pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to improve to 3-1.
Alabama had 12 hits in the opener, with Andrew Miller leading the way with three hits and a run scored. Taylor Dugas was 2 for 5 with 1 run scored, Brock Bennett was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI, and Josh Sanders was 2 for 4 with 1 double, 1 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Mississippi State had 15 hits in Game 1, with six players recording at least two each. Right fielder Jerod Shepherd was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs, while Nick Vickerson added three hits.
Alabama banged out 10 more hits in the second game. In addition of Bennett’s bigday, Dugas went 2 for 4 with 1 run scored.
Vickerson led Mississippi State’s in the nightcap, going 2 for 5 with 2 RBI.
SOUTH CAROLINA 10, AUBURN 2
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina (34-8, 16-4 SEC) pounded out 11 hits and scored six times in the seventh inning on its way to a series-clinching victory over Auburn (23-20, 9-11) at Carolina Stadium.
South Carolina has won all 11 of the three-game series it has played this season.
South Carolina right-hander Colby Holmes (4-1) worked a career-high 7 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. He also tied his career high with seven strikeouts.
Auburn starter Derek Varnadore (4-2) allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, on 5 hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Brady Thomas went 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored to highlight South Carolina’s offense. Evan Marzilli was 2 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI, and Jake Williams had 2 hits and 2 runs scored. South Carolina did not strike out in the game.
FLORIDA 8, OLE MISS 1
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida (33-10, 16-4 SEC) took advantage of some miscues by Ole Miss (24-19, 9-11) to build an early lead and went on to clinch the series victory.
Florida starter Brian Johnson (7-1) held the Rebels scoreless through 6 2/3 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 9.
David Goforth (3-6) took the loss, allowing 6 runs, 5 earned, on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts.
Florida scored twice in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. Brian Johnson tripled and scored on a groundout by Austin Maddox, and the Gators added a second run on a throwing error that allowed Josh Adams to score.
The Gators took advantage of another Ole Miss throwing error in the fourth inning to add two more runs. Mike Zunino led off with a double and moved to third on a flyout to right field, but a throwing error back into the infield allowed Zunino to come around and score. Adams’ double drove in Maddux for a 4-0 lead.
Zunino added a two-run home run in the fifth inning, and Florida scored two more runs in the sixth to take an 8-0 lead.
Miles Hamblin hit a home run in the seventh for the Rebels’ only run.
Sports, Pages 29 on 05/01/2011