The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Swearingen Leads Rebels Past Razorbacks
5/2/2003 | Baseball
May 2, 2003
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Left fielder Jonathan Swearingen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead Ole Miss to a 5-2 win over Arkansas in the opener of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday night, in front of 3,511 at Baum Stadium at George Cole Field.
The loss was the Razorbacks' fifth straight in SEC play, dropping Arkansas to 31-13 overall and 11-11 in the conference. Ole Miss improved to 29-19 overall and 13-9 in the SEC.
Swearingen, who finished a home run shy of the cycle, doubled in the third to score Matt Tolbert and tie the score at 1-1. Seth Smith then followed with a single to score Swearingen and give the Rebels a 2-1 lead. Swearingen tripled in his next at bat in the fifth to drive home pinch-runner Matt Mossberg and extend the Ole Miss lead to 3-1. A batter later, Swearingen scored on Chad Sterbens' single to right to make it 4-1.
Freshman left-hander Eric Fowler (3-2) pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief for starter T.J. Beam to earn the win. He allowed just a one-out double to pinch-hitter Jason Pyle and struck out three. The only other batter to reach base against Fowler was Scott Hode via an error in the sixth.
Stephen Head came on in relief following Pyle's double in the ninth and retired pinch-hitter Judd Kindle and first baseman Haas Pratt to record his 10th save of the season.
Senior right-hander Jarrett Gardner (4-3) suffered the loss. He allowed five runs, four earned, on 10 hits and two walks, while striking out four in seven-plus innings. Gardner's walk to Charlie Waite in the second marked his first of the season, snapping a streak of 56 2/3 innings without allowing a walk.
Beam struggled with his control and was lifted after 4 2/3 innings, however, Arkansas couldn't cash in on its scoring opportunities as the Razorbacks stranded eight runners through the first five innings. Beam was charged with allowing two runs on six hits and four walks and was lifted after issuing a two-out walk to Nick Pitts to put runners on first and second with Ole Miss leading 4-2.
In the third inning, Kirk McConnell hit a lead-off triple to the left-field corner to start the third. However, Beam would strike out Scott Bridges and Pratt back-to-back. Then after issuing a two-out walk to Andrew Wishy, he coaxed Ryan Fox to fly out to center to end the inning. The Razorbacks then loaded the bases in the fourth with one out before McConnell would hit a bouncer back to Beam for an inning-ending double play.
Ole Miss out-hit Arkansas 11-7 on the evening.
Sterbens finished 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Senior catcher Charlie Waite went 1-for-3 with a single in the eighth to extend his hit streak to a career-best 11 games.
Brady Toops went 2-for-4 for Arkansas.
Game two of the series is set for 2:00 p.m., at Baum Stadium. Freshman left-hander Brae Wright (3-2, 3.68 ERA) is scheduled to make his first SEC start of the year for the Rebels Saturday. Arkansas is undecided on a starter.
Ole Miss 5, Arkansas 2 (May 2, 2003 at Fayetteville, Ark.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss 002 020 010 - 5 11 1 (28-19, 12-9 SEC)Arkansas 100 010 000 - 2 7 2 (31-13, 11-11 SEC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - TJ Beam; Eric Fowler(5); Stephen Head(9). Arkansas - Gardner; Hall(8).Win-Eric Fowler(3-2) Save-Stephen Head(10) Loss-Gardner(4-3) T-3:02 A-3511Game notes:NATIONAL RANKINGS: ARK- #24 SW/ESPN; #34 NCBWASterbens (UM) 16-game hit streak; Waite (UM) 11-game hit streak.Gardner faced 2 batters in the 8th.Game: UM0502
