April 6, 2002
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. – Arkansas (16-11, 3-5) scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and withstood a late rally to defeat the fourth ranked University of South Carolina baseball team 7-4 at Baum Field in the first of a three-game college baseball series. Drew Meyer batted 4-for-5 and Yaron Peters batted 2-for-3 with his team-leading 11th home run in the loss for the Gamecocks.
Arkansas starter Gary Hogan Jr. earned the victory for the Razorbacks moving his record to 3-2 on the year. Carolina starter LHP Gary Bell took the loss moving his record to 5-2. Bell went three and two third innings allowing six runs and six hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Carolina got the scoring started in the top of the first. Yaron Peters knocked a first pitch fastball over the left centerfield wall to give the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead.
Arkansas claimed its first lead in the bottom of the second inning. Two Razorback walks and a sacrifice led to Cody Clark hitting a one-out sacrifice fly to right to score Nick Pitts. Scott Hode’s two-out RBI single to center field scored Ryan Fox to put Arkansas on top 2-1.
USC came right back and answered in the third inning to tie the game. Arkansas third baseman Brett Hagedorn misjudged a popped fly ball to put shortstop Drew Meyer on second base. With a 3-2 count, Steve Thomas knocked a single to center field to score Meyer and knot the game at two.
The Razorbacks reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth with four runs off Bell. Brett Hagedorn’s single to center with no outs scored two to give Arkansas a 4-2 edge. A RBI double by Scott Hode increased the Arkansas lead to 5-2 and Kirk McConnell’s fourth triple of the year scored Hode to put the Hogs on top 6-2.
Carolina came back in the fifth inning to load the bases with one out but Hogan was able to retire Thomas and Peters with two strikeouts to get out of the jam.
USC answered back in the seventh inning with two runs. With two outs Thomas hit his second RBI single of the game to score Brian Bushcer and Yaron Peters belted a single to left field to score Meyer moving the score to 6-4. Arkansas got one unearned run back in the seventh inning with an RBI sacrifice fly by Pitts.
South Carolina and Arkansas will continue the three-game series with a 3 p.m. (ET) game on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore LHP David Marchbanks (6-2, 2.96) will take the mound for USC, with Jarrett Gardner (0-0, 2.35) getting the start for the Razorbacks.
