The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Mississippi
No. 5 Baseball loses Oxford NCAA Super Regional opener to No. 8 Mississippi, 6-4
06.12.2005 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. -- A pair of errors combined with three base hits to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh to rally No. 8 Mississippi (48-18) from a two-run deficit and earn the Rebels a 6-4 win over No. 5 Texas (49-16) in front of 8,791 fans at Swayze Field during the first game of the Oxford NCAA Super Regional on Sunday, June 12. With the victory, Ole Miss takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three super regional series with the Horns.
The Longhorns broke on top 2-0 in the top of the first as back-to-back walks to open the inning followed by a sacrifice bunt placed runners on second and third before first baseman Chance Wheeless (Round Rock, Texas) scored both runners with a bloop base hit over the third baseman's head into left field. Two innings later in the bottom of the third, the Rebels looked to counter by placing a runner on third with two down via a walk, a sac bunt and a groundout, but UT starter Kyle McCulloch (Houston, Texas) induced his next batter to line out to Seth Johnston (Boerne, Texas) at shortstop and end the threat. The game then moved into a rain delay, which lasted for two hours and 21 minutes before the contest was suspended until Sunday at 12 p.m. Central. Once restarted, both starters departed and were replaced by Randy Boone (Yoakum, Texas) for Texas and Anthony Cupps for Ole Miss.
After UT was denied a run in the top of the fourth when its baserunner from second slipped while rounding the third base bag on a two-out base hit, the Rebels made it a one-run contest in the bottom of the inning when consecutive base hits were followed by a RBI-fielder's choice grounder with one out from second baseman Cooper Osteen. Answering right back in the fifth, the Longhorns managed to load the bases on one-out base hits from both Johnston and Wheeless and a two-out walk to Will Crouch (Austin, Texas) prior to a clutch single off the bat of Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas) to plate two runs and give the Horns a 4-1 advantage. Following two scoreless half innings, Ole Miss pulled within 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Brian Pettway connected on a one-out, solo home run to left field. While the Rebels then proceeded to put two runners on with two outs in the frame, Boone managed to induce his next batter to hit into a fielder's choice and move the game to the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Mississippi got a leadoff single from catcher Barry Gunther to go along with an error on a sacrifice bunt and a bunt base hit that combined with a throwing error to bring in two runs and tie the game at 4-4. After an intentional walk to load the bases, the Rebels then received a two-run single from left fielder Mark Wright to claim their first lead of the game at 6-4. Although the Longhorns did get a one-out single from Johnston to bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, first baseman Stephen Head, who took the mound in the eighth, set down his next two batters to close the victory and earn his eighth save of the year. Cupps, who allowed only two runs on six hits and struck out three over four innings of relief, picked up the win while J. Brent Cox (Bay City, Texas), who entered the game to start the seventh, shouldered the loss.
Paving the way for UT's offense on the day were Johnston, who went 2-for-3 with one run scored, Wheeless, who tallied three hits while scoring once and driving in a pair, and Robby Hudson (Redlands, Calif.), who turned in a 2-for-4 effort. The Rebels, meanwhile, had their 10-hit attack led by Head, who went 3-for-3 at the plate and also pitched two one-hit innings of relief, and the tandem of Justin Henry and Pettway, who each collected two hits while combining for three runs scored and one RBI.
Up next, these two teams square off in the second game of their super regional series at Swayze Field later on Sunday at 5 p.m. Central. Of note, that contest will be televised regionally by ESPN2.
