April 12, 2009
Oxford, Miss. – No. 14 Ole Miss scored six unanswered runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings on its way to a 6-1 victory over South Carolina on Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three-game series. Carolina won two of three games in the series over the Rebels. Ole Miss improves to 25-10 and 9-6 in the SEC while the loss drops Carolina to 23-12 and 7-8 in league play. The Gamecocks are back in action on Tuesday night hosting College of Charleston with first pitch at 7 p.m. at Carolina Stadium.
Ole Miss starting pitcher Scott Bittle worked six-plus innings to earn the victory. He is 3-2 on the year. He allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Carolina starting pitcher Blake Cooper suffered the loss and is 4-3 on the year. Cooper allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 6.2 innings.
South Carolina would go ahead 1-0 in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run by DeAngelo Mack. The Rebels, however, made their move in the bottom half to score a pair of runs and go ahead 2-1. Matt Snyder and Matt Smith each singled to open the inning giving Ole Miss runners on first and second base with no outs. Ole Miss then caught a break as a sacrifice bunt by David Phillips was misplayed by Carolina as third baseman Andrew Crisp threw wide of first base allowing pinch runner Tim Ferguson to score from second base and advancing Smith to third. Smith would score the go ahead run on Zach Miller’s RBI sacrifice fly to left field.
After a scoreless top of the seventh, the Rebels added three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitter Michael Hubbard had a two-out RBI single and pinch hitter Taylor Hashman added a two-run single as Ole Miss built a five-run cushion. Ole Miss scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth as Evan Button and Kevin Mort each singled to lead off the frame with Button scoring on a double play ball.
Ole Miss out-hit South Carolina 12-4 on Sunday with Smith’s 3-for-4 day at the plate leading the way. Jordan Henry and Matt Snyder also had two hits apiece. Four different players tallied hits for South Carolina.
Tuesday night begins a five-game homestand for Carolina. The Gamecocks also host the Citadel on Wednesday night and Auburn in a three-game series beginning on Friday.
