May 26, 2010
**TV Note – Thursday’s game against Auburn will be broadcast live on CSS and ESPN3.com, but Time Warner Cable customers in South Carolina will be able to watch the game live on channel 506.**
HOOVER, Ala. – Ole Miss starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz worked seven scoreless innings and the Rebels got a two-run homer from Miles Hamblin as Ole Miss defeated South Carolina 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon on the opening day of the SEC Tournament. Ole Miss improves to 37-20 while the loss drops Carolina to 43-14.
Ole Miss starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz worked seven scoreless innings and the Rebels got a two-run homer from Miles Hamblin as Ole Miss defeated South Carolina 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon on the opening day of the SEC Tournament. Ole Miss improves to 37-20 while the loss drops Carolina to 43-14. South Carolina will face Auburn in an elimination game on Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET that will be broadcast live on CSS and ESPN3.com.
Pomeranz, the SEC Pitcher of the Year, was strong for the Rebels as he scattered six hits and walked just one batter while striking out seven to earn the win. He is now 8-2 for the season. South Carolina starter Nolan Belcher worked three-plus innings and allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in defeat for the Gamecocks. He is now 3-1 on the year. Ole Miss reliever Brett Huber worked the final two innings and allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out one batter to pick up his 11th save of the season. Wednesday’s game marked the first time this season that the Gamecocks have been shut out by an opponent.
“It’s frustrating,” said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. “I don’t want to take anything away from Pomeranz or Huber, those guys are very good. But on the flip side, I am getting very frustrated with our offense. I tip my hat to the guys we have faced. Pomeranz and Huber did a nice job today but we have to be more competitive. We have to get hits and do a better job; that’s all there is to it. I’m not asking my guys to go out and get 16 hits against a guy like Pomeranz but we have got to compete better.”
Ole Miss broke ahead 2-0 in the top of the third inning on Miles Hamblin’s two-run homer. After Kevin Mort reached base on fielder’s choice, Hamblin delivered as he stroked a 3-2 pitch from Belcher over the right field wall for his fifth home run of the season giving the Rebels a two-run lead.
South Carolina looked to answer in the bottom of the third but Pomeranz was able to work himself out of the jam. With one out, Whit Merrifield drew a walk followed by a base hit up the middle by Jackie Bradley Jr. that gave the Gamecocks runners on the corners. Pomeranz battled though and struck out Adam Matthews and Christian Walker to end the inning and the Gamecocks’ threat.
Carolina’s bullpen kept the squad in the game as Jose Mata and Tyler Webb threw scoreless outings for the Gamecocks to keep South Carolina within reach. Mata worked 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Webb went 0.2 scoreless as well.
The Rebels would break through against the Gamecock bullpen in the top of the seventh inning. Matt Smith got on base with two outs as a hard hit shot went off of Gamecock reliever John Taylor’s foot and into left field for a single. With Michael Roth on in relief, Smith would steal second base and after an infield single by Matt Snyder, would score on Taylor Hashman’s RBI single to left field.
South Carolina would try to get something going in the ninth inning as pinch hitter Evan Marzilli laced a single to open the frame. But Huber set the next three Gamecock batters down in order to preserve the victory for Ole Miss.
Ole Miss finished with a 9-7 advantage in hits. Hashman was 2-for-3 to lead the attack. Bradley and Walker each tallied two hits to lead the Gamecocks. Bradley owns a 10-game hitting streak, a season-high. Bobby Haney also extended his hitting streak to a season-high nine games.
South Carolina defeated Auburn in two of three games at Auburn earlier this season. South Carolina will start senior RHP Blake Cooper (10-1, 3.08 ERA) with Auburn countering with junior left-hander Grant Dayton (8-2, 4.61 ERA). Cooper earned first-team All-SEC honors with Dayton picking up second-team All-SEC honors as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
