Ole Miss, Texas series tied 1-1

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Posted 5:09AM on Monday, June 13, 2005

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - Texas showed it can play longball, too, and now the Longhorns are rekindling their hopes for another trip to the College World Series. Nick Peoples and Carson Kainer each homered, and Texas dodged a late Mississippi rally and evened its super regional series at one game apiece by beating the Rebels 3-1 on Sunday night. ``The theme is, we've lived to play another day,'' Texas coach Augie Garrido said. ``We were fortunate defensively. The baseball gods were kind to us. They hit the ball hard several times, but it was right at us.'' Earlier in the day, Ole Miss beat the Longhorns 6-4 in the completion of the rain-suspended opening game in the best-of-three series. The Rebels had a chance for the sweep when they loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on a walk to Brian Pettway and singles by Stephen Head and Alex Presley. But J. Brent Cox, one of the nation's most reliable closers, got Cooper Osteen to bounce into a game-ending double play, sealing his 16th save and forcing Monday's decisive third game with the winner claiming a spot in the College World Series. ``We couldn't get the key hit, and Texas did,'' Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. ``It's come down to a one-game season.'' Cox came through hours after his throwing error on a fielded bunt in Game 1 allowed the go-ahead run to score for the Rebels. ``If you can't play with the pressure inside the lines, you will lose,'' Cox said. Texas (50-16) is seeking its fourth straight and 32nd overall trip to the College World Series. Ole Miss (48-19) is looking for its first College World Series appearance since 1972 and is playing in its first super regional. The Longhorns entered with a reputation of playing small ball, entering the weekend with 99 sacrifice bunts and just 46 home runs a total Garrido has partially attributed to playing home games at spacious Disch-Falk Field. Swayze Field, the site of 81 homers this season, was more generous to the Longhorns. Peoples hit his first career homer in the third inning, a two-out solo shot to left off Matt Maloney to give the Longhorns a 1-0 lead. ``I wasn't trying to hit a home run. I was trying to hit the ball hard somewhere,'' Peoples said. ``But I was surprised when I saw it get over the fence.'' Texas added another run in the fourth on an RBI double by Will Crouch, before Kainer led off the sixth with his third homer of the season to make it 3-0. Freshman Adrian Alaniz (6-3) struck out six and gave up one run in winning his second straight start of the postseason. Maloney (8-3) lost for the first time since May 7, a span of five starts. The Rebels stranded nine runners on base through the first six innings, but finally cashed in on a scoring chance in the seventh, when Mark Wright followed singles by Chris Coghlan and Head with an RBI double to make it a two-run game. ``It seemed every inning we left a village of people on base,'' Head said. ``We squandered all kinds of opportunities, and it was still only 3-1, so we feel confident.'' Head went 3-for-4 to lead the Rebels. Justin Henry was ejected in the eighth after he struck out and threw his bat and helmet. The Rebels won the first game when Wright capped a four-run seventh inning with a tiebreaking, two-run single in the completion of a game suspended Saturday night. The Rebels trailed 4-2 in the seventh before tying it when Cox fielded Henry's bunt and threw wildly down the first-base line his second error of the inning after he was perfect all season allowing Miles Franklin and Presley to score. Three batters later, Wright singled to right field to score Henry and Coghlan. ``The life of a short reliever is like a gunfighter you either kill or get killed,'' Garrido said. ``He had both of those results today.'' Texas brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth after a single by Seth Johnston, but Head got Chance Wheeless to pop out and Taylor Teagarden to fly out to end it. The first game was suspended Saturday night because of a heavy, persistent rain generated by Tropical Storm Arlene, which blew ashore on the Gulf Coast and drenched the region. By Sunday, the system had passed through and the skies cleared up. Winning pitcher Anthony Cupps (9-3) took over for Mark Holliman, who started Saturday night, and allowed two runs in four innings. Head worked the final two innings for his eighth save. Three of the four runs allowed in the seventh by Cox (7-3) were earned. Kainer gave Texas a 4-1 lead with a two-run single in the sixth, before Ole Miss started its comeback in the bottom of that inning. Pettway hit his school record-tying 21st homer of the season, a drive to left which pulled the Rebels to within two in the sixth. He tied the record set by Jason Huisman in 1998. Head was 3-for-3 and Osteen had a run-scoring groundout in the fourth for Ole Miss. Texas led 2-0 on a two-run single in the first by Wheeless before the game was suspended following a 2 hour, 21 minute delay.