Mississippi’s five-run inning dooms Gamecocks

South Carolina’s Steve Tolleson (8) slides into second ahead of the throw to Mississippi State shortstop Michael Rutledge during the SEC tournament Thursday at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala. HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Jeff Butts hit a two-run stand-up triple to spark a five-run inning and lead Mississippi State to a 6-2 victory over South Carolina Thursday night in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The victory sends the seventh-seeded Bulldogs (38-20) into Saturday’s semifinals of the double-elimination tournament without a loss and gives the team a day off on Friday.

One day after Alan Johnson allowed two runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 9-2 first-round victory over second-seeded LSU, Todd Doolittle (5-7) struck out a career-high 13 batters and came within one out of pitching his second complete-game shutout of the season.

After allowing two runs, one earned run, five hits, two walks and hitting one batter, Doolittle left the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when a fielding error by third baseman Thomas Berkery allowed South Carolina’s first run.

Mike Valentine then came on in relief to get the final out for the Bulldogs, but not before a throwing error by Berkery allowed another South Carolina run to score.

The Bulldogs supported their pitcher with early runs for the second consecutive day. Butts hit his two-run triple in the second inning. Jeffrey Rea finished with two RBI on three hits.

Sixth-seeded South Carolina (38-20) plays Tennessee in the loser’s bracket on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

(AP Photo/Birmingham Post-Herald)