University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
South Carolina
Vols Hold Off South Carolina, 8-7
May 11, 2002 | Baseball
May 11, 2002
Columbia, S.C. -- Ryan Moffett went 3-for-4 and Hal Bibee Jr. drove in four runs as the Tennessee Volunteers snapped a three-game losing skid with an 8-7 victory over the No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks before a crowd of 4,068 at Sarge Frye Field. The rubber game will be Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Combined with Moffett's four-hit performance in Friday's game, he reached safely in his first nine plate appearances with seven hits and two walks to go 7-for-8 in the series. Both he and Bibee united to drive in Tennessee's first four runs, while Bibee's fifth home run, a two-run blast, capped a three-run fifth as the Volunteers took a 7-3 lead.
Nick Crowe scored three times while collecting his second home run in the fifth. Matt Sternberg also extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a base hit in the sixth.
South Carolina's Yaron Peters went 3-for-5 with three RBI while belting two solo home runs to give him 19 and a share of the conference lead with Florida's Ryan Shealy. Peter's hit No. 18 in the first with the second coming in the fifth as the Gamecocks (38-12, 17-8 SEC) cut the lead to 7-4.
Jeffery Terrell (5-7) earned his third win in his last four starts with his second complete game effort. He allowed seven runs (five earned) on 13 hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
He survived a Gamecock rally in the bottom of the ninth as they collected three consecutive one-out hits, including a run scoring double by Peters that made it 8-6. Then with the bases loaded, Brian Busher reached on a infield single that scored Steve Thomas to make it 8-7, before Terrell retired the final two hitters on a infield fly and a foul out.
David Marchbanks (7-3) took the loss as he lasted just 4 1/3 innings. He was tagged for five runs on seven hits.
Tennessee (25-26, 10-16 SEC) began by striking for two runs in the top of the first as Jordan Czarniecki lined a double to left and Crowe drew a walk to start the frame. After a fly out, Moffett blooped a single to right, plating Czarniecki and moving Crowe to third. Crowe would then score when Bibee reached on a Gamecock error.
Peters put South Carolina on the board in the bottom of the frame with his home run to center field, cutting the lead to 2-1.
The Vols pounded out four more hits in the third, plating two runs in taking a 4-1 lead. After Czarniecki led off with his second hit and was retired on a fielders choice, Tennessee rapped out three consecutive safeties as Moffett and Bibee each drove in their second runs.
South Carolina responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to pull within 4-3. The Gamecocks collected three hits in the inning, including a run scoring infield single from Garris Gonce followed by Brian Buscher's double.
A solo home run by Crowe and Bibee's two-run shot extended the lead to 7-3 in the fifth.
The Gamecocks added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on a Peters' second home run and a Kevin Melillo RBI single, respectively, to pull within 7-5.
Tennessee took an 8-5 lead in the seventh without the benefit of a hit when Walter Sevilla and Moffett drew walks to lead off the inning. Both advanced on a Bibee's sacrifice while Sevilla plated on a fielders choice.
