May 11, 2002
Columbia, SC – Junior left-hander Jeffrey Terrell pitched a complete game Saturday and weathered a ninth inning rally by fourth ranked South Carolina to edge the Gamecocks 8-7 and even a Southeastern Conference baseball series at one game apiece.
The third game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., EDT at Sarge Frye Field. Tennessee improved its record to 25-26, 10-16 in the SEC while South Carolina dropped to 38-12, 17-8. South Carolina’s lead in the SEC Eastern Division race narrowed to half a game over Florida, a 6-3 winner Saturday over Louisiana State.
Terrell threw 164 pitches, gave up 13 hits, walked three and hit a batter but was backed by solid defense and South Carolina left nine runners on base, including three in the ninth inning when South Carolina scored twice to cut the Volunteer lead to one run. With one out and the bases loaded Terrell retired Trey Dyson and Justin Harris on infield pop flies to end the game.
Terrell improved his record to 5-7 with his second complete game. David Marchbanks, 7-3, the South Carolina starter, took the loss.
Ryan Moffett reached base his first four appearances on three hits and a walk to extend to nine the consecutive times he had reached base in the series. He was four for four with a walk in the Friday night 10-6 South Carolina victory. Moffett hit into a fielder’s choice his final at bat Saturday but has seven hits in eight official at bats in the series.
Yaron Peters, who drove in five runs for South Carolina Friday, drove in three more Saturday on a pair of solo home runs and a ninth inning double. Peters leads the Southeastern Conference with 74 runs batted in and his two homers moved him into a tie for the conference lead with Ryan Shealy of Florida. They have 19 homers each.
Hal Bibee, Jr., drove in four runs for Tennessee Saturday with his fifth home run of the season, a two run shot, and a single.
Tennessee took a 2-0 first inning lead on a double by Jordan Czarniecki, a single by Moffett and a Gamecock error. South Carolina cut the deficit to 2-1 on the first homer by Peters in the bottom of the first. Four Vol hits widened the lead to 4-1 in the top of the third dinning but South Carolina scored twice in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3. A throwing error by Terrell on a potential double play ball contributed to the South Carolina two run inning.
A solo home run by Nick Crowe, his second of the season, drove Marchbanks from the mound in the fifth inning and the two run homer by Bibee off reliever Chris Spigner made it 7-3. Single runs by South Carolina in the fifth and sixth innings, including the second homer by Peters in the fifth, cut the lead to 7-5 but Tennessee used two walks a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice to score a run in the seventh inning without a hit.
Czarniecki, Crowe and Bibee had two hits to go with the three by Moffett to pace Tennessee. Three hits by Peters for South Carolina were complemented by two each by Drew Meyer, Garris Gonce, Brian Buscher and Kevin Melillo.
TENNESSEE 202 030 100 – 8-11-1
SOUTH CAROLINA 102 011 002 – 7-13-1
Terrell and Bibee. Marchbanks, Spigner (5), Campbell (7) and Powell. W-Terrell (5-7). L-Marchbanks (7-3). Save-None. 2B-UT, Czarniecki; USC, Buscher, Peters. HR-UT, Crowe (2), Bibee (5); USC, Peters 2(19).
