Bulldogs stay alive with win over UAB

Published 11:40 pm Saturday, June 2, 2012

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Wes Rea and Sam Frost each hit two-run doubles and Southeastern Conference champion Mississippi State eliminated UAB 8-1 in NCAA regional play Saturday.

The Bulldogs will play Samford in an elimination game today at 11 a.m. for a spot in the Tallahassee Regional title game against Florida State. The title game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch.

Rea’s double into the left field corner ignited a five-run sixth that catapulted the Bulldogs into a 7-1 lead. Frost, whose fourth-inning double gave Mississippi State a 2-0 lead, added his third RBI in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.

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“Obviously we needed to get something going offensively (Saturday) and had a little help,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “Certainly we needed something to get going and we did. We just kept hanging around and we had a couple of things happen for us. We used the short game.”

Ross Mitchell (3-0) picked up the victory after replacing starter Kendall Graveman in the fourth. Caleb Reed went the final four and two-thirds innings to register his ninth save.

“I went up to (pitching) coach (Butch) Thompson after the eighth and I was like ‘I’ve come this far just let me go ahead and finish this and save the rest of the guys,’” Reed said. “That gives us a chance. The less we use (Saturday), the more we have for the rest of the week.”

Former Hinds Community College pitcher Ryan Nance (4-4) was tagged with the loss for the Blazers, who scored their lone run on an infield ground out.

The Conference USA champions (32-30) scored just two runs in regional play.