Jones Rallies Auburn Past Mississippi State
Box Score l Audio
May 15, 2004
Paige Jones |
TUSCALOOSA - Junior Paige Jones hit a solo home run to tie the game in the sixth and followed that with a walk-off single in the seventh to rally No. 12 Auburn for a 4-3 victory over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament Saturday at Tuscaloosa.
Auburn won in walk-off fashion for the fourth time this season to avoid elimination. The Tigers upped their record to 41-15 on the year.
Tied 3-3 heading into the seventh, Sara Dean reached on an error by shortstop Callye Williams to lead off. Martha Phillips then chopped a single over third baseman Tanelda McDonald's head to put the winning run in scoring position.
Ashley Griffin came to the plate and roped what looked to be a double to right-centerfield that would have ended the game. However, centerfielder Iyhia McMichael, a finalist for National Player of the Year, made a running grab with the ball less than five feet from landing
on the warning track. By the time she reached the ball, she could have been considered in right field.
With a second chance, Mississippi State pitcher Kelli Miller, who had reentered in the sixth, promptly hit Sara Ghezzi to load the bases. Jones then laced a two-strike pitch to right centerfield to plate Dean for the winner.
In the previous inning, Jones led off with a towering homer to left field off Melissa Massey. Massey, who entered in the second to relieve Miller, had hurled nine shutout innings against the Tigers prior to the blast.
Auburn faces LSU tonight at 7:30 in its third straight elimination game. The two teams split two meetings in the regular season in Baton Rouge.