STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI - Mississippi State starter Paul Maholm pitched seven strong innings, striking out eight, to lead the Bulldogs to a 4-2 win over Auburn Friday. <br>
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Joseph Hunter broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI-triple in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hunter then scored on a two-out single to right field by Matthew Maniscalco that gave Mississippi State the 4-2 advantage. <br>
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Auburn (27-8, 9-4 Southeastern Conference) took an early lead when Karl Amonite scored from second on a two-out single by Josh Bell in the second inning. <br>
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The Bulldogs (25-5-1, 10-3) responded with two runs in the fourth on a sacrifice by Craig Tatum and an RBI-single by Hunter. <br>
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Bell hit a solo homer in the sixth to tie the game at 2. The freshman went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Tigers. <br>
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Eric Brandon allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 2-3 innings to take the loss for Auburn. Brandon struck out three, walked two, and hit four batters. <br>
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Maholm improved to 6-1 on the year.
