STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Derek Hebert's two-run single scored the go-ahead run and lifted LSU to a 7-5 victory over Mississippi State on Friday night, dealing a blow to the Bulldogs' Southeastern Conference tournament hopes.<br>
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The SEC West-leading Tigers (37-17, 17-11) trailed 5-4 in the eighth inning when Clay Harris singled, Jordan Meyer walked and Chris Jackson bunted them into scoring position.<br>
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Hebert followed with a single to center which scored Harris and Meyer and gave LSU a 6-5 lead. Then, Hebert stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Thomas Berkery and scored the Tigers' final run on Bruce Sprowl's single.<br>
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Only two of LSU's runs were earned.<br>
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The Bulldogs (35-19, 12-15) entered the day in ninth place in the SEC and needed a successful weekend to move up a spot and qualify for the eight-team conference tournament.<br>
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Now, Mississippi State needs losses from Arkansas, Vanderbilt and South Carolina which entered Friday with 13-14 league records but are ahead of the Bulldogs in the standings to avoid missing the tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1970s.<br>
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Joseph McCaskill had three hits for Mississippi State.<br>
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(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
