Tigers defeat Ole Miss

By By Kyle Veazey/Special to The Star
March 24, 2002
OXFORD LSU rebounded from a dismal effort Friday night to hold off Ole Miss 6-5 Saturday afternoon at Swayze Field.
In an anything but boring game, the 4,195 on hand – the seventh largest crowd in the stadium's history saw everything from Ole Miss catcher Charlie Waite being knocked unconscious on a batter's follow-through to LSU getting a pivotal out during an Ole Miss rally by using the hidden ball trick.
Lane Mestepey (4-2), last year's SEC Freshman of the Year, threw a complete game for LSU, giving up 10 hits, earning four runs, striking out two and walking five in 128 pitches.
Pete Montrenes (5-2) struggled early but hit his stride in the middle innings, although it wasn't enough. The senior went six and two thirds of an inning, yielding 10 hits, earning four runs, striking out two and walking four in taking the loss.
Ole Miss (15-7, 1-4 SEC), who claimed Friday night's contest 9-3, will look to rebound in today's deciding game by sending right-hander Alan Horne (0-1, 7.11 ERA) to the mound. LSU (15-10, 2-3 SEC) will counter with Jake Tompkins (2-0, 3.34). Today's game is set for 1:30.
Both teams, which were highly touted in the preseason but have struggled in early conference play, know much more is at stake in today's game than they're accustomed to this early in the season.
Hutchinson was the star offensively for the Rebels, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the third inning that put the Rebels on the board. LSU made Ole Miss play from behind from the start, as the Tigers touched Montrenes for two runs in the first, and one each in the second and third innings.
With Ole Miss threatening in the fifth inning, Hutchinson was called out at third after LSU's Wally Pontiff faked a throw back to Mestepey after a play, and then tagged Hutchinson. The Rebels eventually scored just one run, tying the game 4-4.
LSU took the lead for good in the seventh, as Blake Gill drove in Aaron Hill on a single to left field. The Tigers added an insurance run – which would prove to be the winning run – in the eighth, as Hill doubled home David Raymer to claim a 6-4 LSU lead.
Ole Miss cut the lead to 6-5 in the eighth as Drew Rogers scored off a sacrifice fly from Josh Christian.
The Rebels sent five men to the plate in the ninth, but could not score the tying run. Matt Mossberg was left stranded at third and Seth Smith at first as Rogers lined out to Mestepey for the third and final out.
Rebel catcher Charlie Waite was knocked unconscious for a few seconds in the seventh after he was hit in the head by a bat on a LSU batter's backswing. Waite left the game after the inning, and was to be examined at the hospital following the game's conclusion.