The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
South Carolina
No. 4 South Carolina Stuns No. 9 Ole Miss
5/4/2002 | Baseball
May 4, 2002
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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Brian Buscher's two-run home run on a 0-2 fastball from T.J. Beam in the bottom of the ninth lifted No. 4 South Carolina to a 6-4 win over No. 9 Ole Miss Saturday evening, in front of 2,288 at Sarge-Frye Field in Columbia.
Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Gamecocks hit three home runs in the inning. Justin Harris hit a one-out solo shot to make it 4-3 and Drew Meyer followed with a single up the middle to put the tying run on base.
Meyer was caught stealing on an 0-1 pitch to Steve Thomas, and Thomas was ruled to be swinging on the play to put South Carolina down to its last strike. However, Thomas would hit Beam's next pitch over the left field wall to tie the game 4-4. Yaron Peters followed with a double to right center to set-up Buscher's heroics.
The loss was the Rebels' (34-13, 13-10 SEC) fourth in their last five SEC games since winning 2-of-3 at Alabama two weeks ago. The South Carolina win, coupled with an 8-7, 11-inning loss by the Crimson Tide at Georgia, moved the Gamecocks (37-10, 16-6) a half-game ahead of Alabama in the overall conference standings.
Ole Miss wasted a solid outing by senior right-hander Pete Montrenes, who kept the Gamecocks off-balance most of the evening. He overcame five walks in the first three innings to hold South Carolina to two runs, one earned, on five hits and struck out seven before being lifted for Beam in the seventh.
Beam (2-2) was tagged with the loss, as he was charged with four runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Aaron Rawl (2-1) earned the win, throwing three innings of scoreless relief.
Chad Sterbens and Drew Rogers each had two hits to combine for four of the Rebels' six hits. Sterbens hit his third home run of the year with a two-run shot in the third to give Ole Miss a 2-1 lead. Rogers added a solo shot in the sixth to make it 4-2.
Harris, Meyer and Peters all had two hits each to pace the Gamecocks' 10-hit attack. Garris Gonce also homered for South Carolina, as the Gamecocks hit four in the game, recording a solo shot in the fourth to trim Ole Miss' lead to 3-2.
Ole Miss will look to avoid the sweep when the two teams conclude the series Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. (CDT). Freshman right-hander Alan Horne (4-1, 4.08) is scheduled to start for the Rebels. South Carolina is scheduled to throw junior left-hander Steven Bondurant (5-2, 3.69).
South Carolina 6, Ole Miss 4 (May 04, 2002 at Columbia, SC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss............ 003 001 000 - 4 6 1 (34-13, 13-10 SEC)South Carolina...... 100 100 004 - 6 10 1 (37-10, 16-6 SEC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - P. Montrenes; T. Beam(7). South Carolina - Marchbanks D; Rawl, Aaron(7).Win-Rawl, Aaron(2-1) Loss-T. Beam(2-2) T-2:57 A-2288HR UM - C. Sterbens (3); D. Rogers (5).HR SC - Thomas, S. (7); Buscher, B. (12); Gonce, G. (14); Harris, J. (3).P. Montrenes faced 1 batter in the 7th.Game: UM0504
