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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Florida
Beam, Head Blank No. 24 Florida
5/9/2003 | Baseball
May 9, 2003
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OXFORD, Miss. - Senior right-hander T.J. Beam and freshman left-hander Stephen Head combined on a three-hit shutout to lead Ole Miss to a 2-0 win over No. 24 Florida in the opener of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday evening, in front of 2,422 at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
With the win, the Rebels improved to 30-21, 14-11 in the SEC, and secured their sixth straight 30-win campaign. The victory was also Ole Miss' eighth straight over Florida in Oxford dating back to 1997.
The Gators fell to 32-16-1 overall and 11-13-1 in the SEC, and dropped 2.5 games behind first-place South Carolina in the SEC Eastern Division. With wins by both Tennessee and Vanderbilt, Florida now holds just a half-game lead for the eighth and final spot to the SEC Tournament.
Beam (7-1) overcame four walks to tie a career-high with eight strikeouts and limited the Gators to two hits in seven innings of work.
Head pitched the final two innings to record his 11th save of the season and tie the Ole Miss single-season mark set by Justin Huisman back in 2000.
Chad Sterbens gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead with a two-out single in the first inning to score Seth Smith, who reached on a one-out double.
The Rebels wouldn't score again until the eighth when Brian Pettway delivered a two-out single to score Sterbens.
Sophomore right-hander Tommy Boss (2-3) suffered the loss despite holding Ole Miss to one run on six hits in six innings of work.
Trailing 1-0, the Gators loaded the bases with one out in the third inning, however, Beam would strikeout the Gators' No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, C.J. Smith and Ben Harrison, to end the threat. Florida wouldn't get another runner to second again until the eighth inning.
Pettway, Jonathan Swearingen and Sterbens all recorded two hits each to pace the Rebels' nine-hit attack.
Ole Miss and Florida will continue the weekend's three-game series Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. Sophomore right-hander Justin Hoyman (7-4, 3.12 ERA) is scheduled to start for Florida, opposite Ole Miss freshman lefty Brae Wright (3-2, 3.42 ERA).
Ole Miss 2, No. 24 Florida 0 (May 9, 2003 at Oxford, Miss.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Florida 000 000 000 - 0 3 1 (32-16-1, 11-13-1 SEC)Ole Miss 100 000 01x - 2 9 0 (30-21, 14-11 SEC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Florida - Boss; Pete(7); O'Day(8). Ole Miss - TJ Beam; Stephen Head(8).Win-TJ Beam(7-1) Save-Stephen Head(11) Loss-Boss(2-3) T-2:30 A-2422Game notes:NATIONAL RANKINGS: FLA- #24 SW/ESPNFLA- Lost 8 straight in OxfordUM- Head ties school single-season save record w/11 ... Rebels record 6thstraight 30-win season ... Rebels 10-1 in games Beam starts.Game: UM0509
