Carolina picks up game on Dogs; SEC rundup

Posted 7:07AM on Saturday 11th May 2002 ( 23 years ago )

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Yaron Peters drove in five runs to rally South Carolina to a 10-6 victory against Tennessee on Friday night. Tennessee (24-26, 9-16 Southeastern Conference) got on the board in the second inning when Brandon Hopkins drove in two runs with a base hit and Matt Sternberg doubled in another in the Vols uprising on a RBI hit by Jordan Czarniecki. South Carolina (38-11, 17-7) struck back in the bottom of the second, taking a 5-4 lead. Trey Dyson started the rally with a two run home run, while Peters drove in three runs with a double down left field. Landon Powell went 3-for-4 with three runs, while Steve Thomas went 3-for-3 with two runs for the Gamecocks. Aaron Rawl (3-1) picked up the win and Blake Taylor earned his 15th save. Ben Riley (5-3) took the loss. ALABAMA 9, MISSISSIPPI ST. 5 TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - Beau Hearod hit two home runs and pitcher Lance Cormier became Alabama's all-time career strikeouts leader as the Crimson Tide beat Mississippi State 9-5 on Friday night. Alabama (41-9, 18-7 Southeastern) scored four runs in the third inning and three in the fourth to take control. Cormier got two strikeouts in the fifth inning and has 275 for his career. Hearod opened the scoring with a solo homer in the third. Mississippi State (28-20-1, 11-13) cut the lead, scoring twice in the fifth on a double by Matthew Brinson. The Bulldogs scored three more runs in the sixth on a balk and RBI singles by Robby Goodson and Casey Long. With Alabama leading 7-5, Hearod dashed any hope of a Bulldog comeback with his 10th homer of the season, a solo shot in the seventh inning that put the game out of reach. Cormier (9-2) gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings. Paul Maholm (8-3) allowed seven runs, four earned, on six hits in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss. ARKANSAS 5, OLE MISS 4 OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - Cody Clark broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with a two-run single and Charlie Isaacson pitched eight strong innings to lead Arkansas to a 5-4 win over Mississippi on Friday night. The victory was Arkansas' 15th in the last 19 meetings against Ole Miss (35-14, 14-11 Southeastern), dating back to 1996. Isaacson (4-6) allowed three runs on nine hits to earn the win. The Razorbacks (26-21, 9-13) trailed 2-0 after the third inning, but Clay Goodwin hit a two-run homer in the fifth to tie the score at 2-2. Ole Miss took the 2-0 lead in the third on a sacrifice fly by Burney Hutchinson and a RBI single by Drew Rogers. After Clark's single in the sixth, Ole Miss gave up another run in the top of the ninth before fighting back in the bottom of the inning. The Rebels scored two runs in the ninth, but Kyler Pomeroy stalled the Ole Miss rally to earn his third save. Pomeroy entered the game after Clint Farrar's pinch-hit RBI single made it 5-3 and the Rebels had runners on the corners with no outs. Charlie Waite hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Jonathan Swearingen to make it 5-4, but Pomery coaxed Chad Sterbens to ground out to second and into a game-ending double play. Sterbens was 1-for-4. He extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Scott Bridges and Kirk McConnell both went 2-for-4 and combined for four of Arkansas' six hits. Pete Montrenes (8-5) suffered the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits. LSU 5, FLORIDA 4 (10) GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - Sean Barker scored the winning run in the 10th inning when catcher Brian Rose missed a strike three and then threw the ball into the hitter's back, allowing LSU to beat Florida 5-4 Friday. Jamie Goldfarb's strikeout of David Raymer would have ended the LSU inning, but Rose missed strike three. While then trying to get Raymer at first, Rose threw the ball into Raymer's back, allowing Barker to score. Rose then grounded into a double play with men on first and second for Florida (36-14, 16-9 Southeastern Conference) to end the game. Winning pitcher Jake Tompkins (5-0) pitched three innings of relief for LSU (34-16, 15-9), giving up one earned run and one hit. He struck out two and walked four. He first came into the game with runners on second and third and no outs in a 3-3 game in the eighth and got out of the jam without allowing a run. Goldfarb (2-3) pitched one inning, giving up no earned runs and two hits.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/194826