The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Gamecocks Slug Rebels
5/3/2002 | Baseball
May 3, 2002
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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Senior first baseman Yaron Peters went 5-for-5 with six RBIs to lead No. 4 South Carolina's 22-hit attack as the Gamecocks out-slugged No. 9 Ole Miss 17-12 in the opener of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday night, in front of 3,250 at Sarge-Frye Field.
The game featured a wild third inning in which the two teams combined to score 19 runs on 18 hits, including six home runs, and sent a total of 25 batters to the plate.
With the win, South Carolina (36-10, 15-6 SEC) moved to within a half-game of Alabama for first-place in the overall SEC standings, as the Georgia defeated the Crimson Tide 5-0.
Peters gave the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run home run and added an RBI double in the second to make it 4-0.
Ole Miss (34-12, 13-9 SEC) would score 10 runs in the third, including seven with two outs, to take a 10-4 lead. Matt Tolbert started the inning with a lead-off home run to left field and Chad Sterbens followed with the first of three straight singles to load the bases. Sterbens would score on Josh Christian's ground out to third and Drew Rogers singled to score Jonathan Swearingen and pull the Rebels to within 4-3. Two batters later, Charlie Waite bounced a two-out, two-run double over third base off reliever Rocky Evans to give Ole Miss a 5-4 lead.
After Tolbert walked to re-load the bases, Sterbens cleared the bases with a three-run triple, and Swearingen followed with a two-run home run to cap the 10-run outburst.
The lead would be short-lived as South Carolina answered with nine runs in the bottom of the inning, including recording eight straight, one-out hits. Trey Dyson started with a lined single up the middle that hit off starter J.R. Pickens, forcing him out of the game. Nick Bradshaw came on in relief and Garris Gonce greeted him with a two-run home run to cut the Rebels' lead to 10-6.
The home run was the first of four in the inning by the Gamecocks. Brian Buscher's three-run home run gave the Gamecocks a 12-10 lead and a batter later, Gonce hit his second home run of the inning to make it 13-10.
Chris Spigner (6-0) came on in relief for South Carolina in the fourth and worked 4 2/3 innings to earn the win, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, and also struck out six.
Blake Taylor recorded his SEC-leading 14th save by throwing the final 1 1/3 innings.
Al Simontis (4-2) was charged with the loss as he was tagged for seven runs on eight hits and one walk during one inning of relief.
Sterbens, Swearingen and Smith recorded three hits each, and all Ole Miss starters had at least one hit as the Rebels pounded out 17 on the night. Sterbens' three hits extended his SEC hitting streak to 22 games, and to 12 games overall.
Eight different Gamecocks had at least two hits on the night.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m., CDT. The game was originally slated for 3 p.m., CDT but was moved due to conflict with South Carolina's final exams schedule. Senior right-hander Pete Montrenes (8-4, 5.24) is scheduled to start for Ole Miss against sophomore left-hander David Marchbanks (7-2, 3.90).
South Carolina 17, Ole Miss 12 (May 03, 2002 at Columbia, SC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss............ 00(10) 100 010 - 12 17 2 (34-12, 13-9 SEC)South Carolina...... 229 201 01X - 17 22 0 (36-10, 15-6 SEC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - J. Pickens; N. Bradshaw(3); A. Simontis(3); A. Yates(4). South Carolina -Bell, Gary; Evans, Rocky(3); Spigner, C.(4); Taylor, B.(8).Win-Spigner, C.(6-0) Save-Taylor, B.(14) Loss-A. Simontis(4-2) T-3:28 A-3250HR UM - Swearingen (3); M. Tolbert (2).HR SC - Peters, Y. (17); Buscher, B. (11); Gonce, G. 2 (13); Powell, L. (7).Game notes:NATIONAL RANKINGS- UM: #9 CB, #11 BA; #13 BW/ESPN; #13 NCBWANATIONAL RANKINGS- USC: #4 BA; #4 CB; #6 BW/ESPN; #6 NCBWASterbens 22-game SEC hit streak; 12 games overall ... Two teams combine for19 runs on 18 hits, including six HRs, in 3rd inning.J. Pickens faced 1 batter in the 3rd.Game: UM0503
