Arkansas edges past Ole Miss, 5-4
By By Chris Kieffer/Special to The Star
May 11, 2002
OXFORD Arkansas turned a couple of hits from the bottom of its lineup into four runs and defeated 12th ranked Ole Miss 5-4 Friday night in front of 2,512 at Swayze Field.
Eight-hole hitter Clay Goodwin hit a two-run home run and seven-hole hitter Cody Clark had a two-RBI single for the Razorbacks, who improved to 26-21, 9-13 in the SEC.
Ole Miss (35-14, 14-11) made it interesting in the ninth.
Trailing 5-2, Bryce Morrison, Jonathan Swearingen and Clint Farrar led off the frame with singles for the Rebels. Morrison scored on Farrar's hit and Swearingen moved to third.
Kyler Pomeroy then relieved Jarrett Gardner on the mound for Arkansas. Swearingen scored on Charlie Waite's sacrifice fly to cut the gap to one. Pomeroy then induced Chad Sterbens to hit into a double play to end the game and earn his third save.
Goodwin's home run came with Arkansas trailing 2-0 in the fifth.
Clark led off with a walk before Goodwin hit a 361-foot shot to left.
Goodwin missed 25 games this season after separating his shoulder March 16 against Georgia. It was his second start and first hit since the injury. He had been 0-for-7.
Goodwin said that because he was hitting at the bottom of the lineup, he expected to get a good pitch from Rebel starter Pete Montrenes.
Clark then gave Arkansas a 4-2 lead in the sixth when he singled with the bases loaded.
Montrenes (8-5) gave up three earned runs in eight innings to take the loss. He gave up just five hits and struck out seven.
Montrenes said the difference was that we walked five and hit one batter.
Arkansas scored the decisive run in the top of the ninth. Goodwin reached on an error by first baseman Morrison. After a walk and a single loaded the bases, Rebel reliever T.J. Beam balked, allowing Goodwin to score.
Ole Miss scored two in the third but struggled most of the game against Arkansas starter Charlie Isaacson (4-6). Isaacson gave up three runs and nine hits in eight innings.
The Rebels made three errors in the game. Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said the Rebels needed a complete effort.
The two teams play again Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at Swayze Field. Alan Horne (5-1, 3.83) will start for Ole Miss against Gary Hogan Jr. (3-6, 4.80).
