OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - Matt Tolbert scored two runs to help Mississippi to a 6-5 victory over South Carolina in the opener of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday. <br>
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It was the Rebel's (26-17, 11-8) first home win over the Gamecocks (27-16, 9-10) since 1994. <br>
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Trailing 6-4, South Carolina loaded the bases in the ninth. Freshman left-hander Stephen Head coaxed Tim Seaton to ground into a double play, allowing Brian Triplett to score to make it 6-5 and put the tying run on third. <br>
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Pinch-hitter Demetric Smith then hit a deep fly to center that Matt Mossberg hauled in for the final out. <br>
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Head went 3-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate and also worked two innings of relief, allowing the one run on four hits and one walk to earn his ninth save of the year. <br>
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Freshman left-hander Eric Fowler (2-2) pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief of starter T.J. Beam to earn the win. <br>
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South Carolina starter Steven Bondurant (4-3) was charged with the loss and allowed five runs on nine hits and three walks in six-plus innings. <br>
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Charlie Waite broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh with a two-out single that scored pinch-runner Shawn Yarbrough to give the Rebels a 5-4 lead. <br>
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South Carolina scored two runs in the first and two in the second to build a 4-0 lead. <br>
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Ole Miss plated three runs in the bottom of the second to pull to pull the Rebels within 4-3. Ole Miss tied the game in the fourth on Head's RBI single. <br>
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Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m.
