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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Vanderbilt
Ole Miss Wins Sunday's Rubber-Match With Vanderbilt
3/23/2003 | Baseball
March 23, 2003
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Ole Miss made two first-inning runs stand and redshirt freshman left-hander Eric Fowler earned his first career win as the Rebels posted a 3-1 victory over Vanderbilt Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field to win the final two games of the three-game Southeastern Conference series.
With the win, Ole Miss, 15-7 overall, is off to its best SEC start at 5-1 since 1972. The Rebels have also won nine of their last 11. Vanderbilt dropped to 13-10 overall and 2-4 in the SEC.
Fowler (1-1) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk, while striking out four.
Jonathan Swearingen led the game off with a home run to left off starter Jeremy Sowers. Chad Sterbens followed with a double down the right field line, and after moving to third on Seth Smith's grounder to second, Sterbens scored on Brian Pettway's double down the left field line.
After recording four hits during the first inning, Ole Miss managed just two hits the rest of the way against four Vanderbilt pitchers.
Sowers (0-3) was charged with the loss, scattering five hits and walking two in allowing two runs over six innings. He also struck out four.
Vanderbilt broke through in the seventh when Mickey Kropf hit a two-out single off Wright. Wright then hit Zach Simpson on an 0-2 pitch to extend the inning. Wright was then lifted for Jeremy Zick, who issued back-to-back walks to Ryan Klosterman and Cesar Nicolas to force home Gil Kim, who was pinch-running for Kropf.
The Commodores would leave the bases full as Zick coaxed Warner Jones to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Zick would pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth to record his third save of the year.
Ole Miss added an insurance run in the ninth when pinch-hitter Stephen Head hit lead-off double and later scored when Matt Mossberg drew a bases loaded walk.
The two teams combined to strand 20 runners on base, with the Rebels leaving 11.
Vanderbilt out-hit Ole Miss 7-6 on the afternoon, led by Kropf and third baseman Tony Mansolino with two hits each.
Swearingen was 2-for-4 for the Rebels.
Ole Miss will open a six-game homestand Tuesday night against Murray State at 6:30 p.m. The Rebels will host Southern Miss Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m., before opening a three-game SEC series with in-state rival Mississippi State Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. Wednesday's contest with the Golden Eagles is the rescheduled game from Feb. 25 that postponed due to inclement weather.
Ole Miss 3, Vanderbilt 1 (Mar 23, 2003 at Nashville, Tenn.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss............200 000 001 - 3 6 0 (15-7, 5-1 SEC)Vanderbilt..........000 000 100 - 1 7 0 (13-10, 2-4 SEC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - Eric Fowler; Brae Wright(6); Jeremy Zick(7). Vanderbilt - Sowers; Owen(7);Pilkington(9); Douillard(9).Win-Eric Fowler(1-1) Save-Jeremy Zick(3) Loss-Sowers(0-3) T-2:48 A-831HR UM - Swearingen (2).Owen faced 1 batter in the 9th.Game: UM0323
