The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
McNeese State (NCAA Houston Regional)
Wichita State Ends Ole Miss' Season With 5-4 Win
5/31/2003 | Baseball
May 31, 2003
McNeese State Box Score in PDF Format | McNeese State Box Score
Wichita State Box Score in PDF Format | Wichita State Box Score
HOUSTON - Drew Moffitt's bases-loaded sac fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth to score Shawn Smarsh lifted No. 3 seed Wichita State to a 5-4 win over No. 2 seed Ole Miss in an elimination game at the 2003 NCAA Houston Regional Saturday evening, in front of 2,845 at Reckling Park on the campus of Rice University.
With the loss, Ole Miss finishes its third season under head coach Mike Bianco at 35-27. The regional appearance was also the Rebels' second in three years under Bianco.
The Shockers (49-26) will advance to Sunday's championship game against top-seeded Rice (50-10). Wichita State will have to beat the Owls twice to advance to next weekend's super regionals.
Pinch-hitter Bryan Erstad started the ninth with a double down the left field line. After Smarsh showed bunt, he hit a 1-2 pitch off Anthony Cupps through the right side of the infield to put runners on the corners. The Rebels then intentionally walked Nick Blasi to load the bases.
Brandon Green then hit a sharp grounder to second that Chad Sterbens was able to field and throw home to force pinch-runner Kenny Waddell. However, Cupps wouldn't be able to escape the jam as Moffitt lifted his 1-0 pitch to center to drive home the winning run.
Mike Dennison (1-3), the fourth Shocker pitcher of the evening, pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. He entered the game with the score tied at 4-4 and the go-ahead run on second with two outs in the eighth. Dennison struck out Jonathan Swearingen to end the inning before working a scoreless ninth.
Cupps (4-3) allowed one run on two hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings in suffering the loss.
Tied 3-3, Ole Miss couldn't plate a run despite having putting runners on second and third with one out, as senior left-hander Reuben Kerbs coaxed Stephen Head to pop out to first and Sterbens to ground to second to end the threat.
The Shockers would take advantage of an Ole Miss error in the bottom half of the inning to grab their first lead of the night. Smarsh drew a lead-off walk from starter Brae Wright before Wright was lifted for Cupps.
Nick Blasi then hit a grounder to second that bounced off Sterbens' glove and allowed Smarsh to advance to third. Cupps would then get Green to bounce into a double play, however, Smarsh would score from third to give Wichita State a 4-3 lead.
Freshman Brian Pettway would answer for the Rebels in the top of the eighth with a lead-off home run, his eighth of the season, to tie the game at 4-4.
Ole Miss out-hit Wichita State 12-9 on the evening, however, the Rebels stranded nine runners on base, including seven in scoring position.
Seth Smith, Sterbens and Swearingen all had two hits each for Ole Miss.
No. 3 Wichita State 5, No. 2 Ole Miss 4 (May 31, 2003 at Houston, Texas)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss 201 000 010 - 4 12 3 (35-27)Wichita State 111 000 101 - 5 9 0 (49-26)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - Brae Wright; A. Cupps(7). Wichita State - Sanders; Henderson(3); Kerbs(7);Dennison(8).Win-Dennison(1-3) Loss-A. Cupps(4-3) T-2:43 A-2845HR UM - B. Pettway (8).Game notes:Game 5 - 2003 NCAA Houston Regional; Ole Miss eliminatedGame 3 - (2) Ole Miss 7, (4) McNeese State 1 - McNeese St. eliminatedGame 4 - (1) Rice 10, (3) Wichita State 1Game 6 - (3) Wichita State vs. (1) Rice - Sunday, 1 p.m.Brae Wright faced 1 batter in the 7th.Game: UM0531B
NCAA BASEBALL HOUSTON REGIONAL: No. 2 OLE MISS 7, No. 4 McNEESE STATE 1
HOUSTON - Freshman Stephen Head went 3-for-5 with an RBI single to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning, and also fired a complete-game three-hitter to lead No. 2 seed Ole Miss to a 7-1 win over No. 4 seed McNeese State in an elimination game at the NCAA Houston Regional Saturday morning, in front of 2,548 at Reckling Park on the campus of Rice University.
Ole Miss improved to 35-26, while McNeese State finished its season at 31-30.
After allowing two hits in the second inning, Head held the Cowboys hitless until Tommy Eubanks hit a one-out double in the ninth. He also walked just two, and struck out seven to improve to 4-1 and record his second complete game of the year.
Tied at 1-1 in the sixth, Seth Smith jump started the Rebel offense with a one-out double. Head then lined a single to right to score Smith and give Ole Miss a 2-1 lead.
The Rebels then took advantage of a McNeese State error. Chad Sterbens hit a bouncer to third, but third baseman Tim Lemke's throw to second to force Head was high to put runners on first and second. Brian Pettway would follow with a bouncer over Lemke at third to score Head and extend the Rebels' lead to 3-1.
Jonathan Swearingen made it 4-1 in the seventh with a one-out solo shot to left, his sixth home run of the year.
The Rebels added three insurance runs in the eighth. Dustin Cliburn hit a two-run double and Swearingen followed with a single to plate Cliburn and pad the Ole Miss lead at 7-1.
Freshman right-hander Jacob Marceaux (2-4) suffered the loss. He was charged with four runs, two earned, on eight hits and one walk, while striking out six in seven innings.
Smith and Swearingen also had two hits to pace Ole Miss' 11-hit attack.
No. 2 Ole Miss 7, No. 4 McNeese State 1 (May 31, 2003 at Houston, Texas)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss 000 102 130 - 7 11 2 (35-26)McNeese State 001 000 000 - 1 3 2 (31-30)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - Stephen Head. McNeese State - J. Marceaux; Josh Hansen(8); Craig Martel(8).Win-Stephen Head(4-1) Loss-J. Marceaux(2-4) T-2:38 A-2548HR UM - Swearingen (6).Game notes:Game 3 - 2003 NCAA Houston Regional, hosted by Rice UniversityMcNeese State eliminatedGame 4 - (1) Rice vs. (3) Wichita State, 3 p.m.Game 5 - (2) Ole Miss vs. (1) Rice/(3) Wichita State loser, 7 p.m.Game: UM0531
