By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
April 19, 2004
OXFORD Seth Smith finally got to carry Ole Miss to a win instead of just watching someone else do it.
The Rebels outfielder was 2-of-3 with three RBIs and a go-ahead double in the sixth inning as No. 7 (Sports Weekly/ESPN) Ole Miss beat No. 11 Tennessee 7-4 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.
After Arkansas' 14-8 loss to Vanderbilt, the Rebels (31-6, 11-4 Southeastern Conference) are in sole possession of first place in the SEC Western Division.
Ole Miss now stands alone atop the SEC West halfway through its league schedule.
Tennessee is 29-9 (9-6 SEC) after being swept by Ole Miss for the first time since 1989, but remains on top of the SEC East.
The Volunteers, who have now lost four straight games, took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Rebels starter Brae Wright settled down afterward. Wright, who improved to 6-1 with the win, allowed just five more hits and had five scoreless innings after the first.
Ole Miss got on the board in the second inning when Chris Coghlan scored from first base. Smith hit a single to advance Coghlan to second, but Vols center fielder Josh Alley threw to an unattended first base. The ball rolled out of play, and Coghlan came all the way around to score.
Smith scored the tying run in the bottom of the fourth on a Presley single, and the Rebels took their first lead of the day with a three-run sixth. Smith's double scored two to break the tie, and a single by Barry Gunther plated Smith for a 7-3 lead.
Tennessee came within two runs in the seventh inning on Alley's RBI double, and the Volunteers threatened to come closer with two runners on and only one out.
But Vols third baseman Kyle Norrid lined out to Rebels first baseman Stephen Head, who dove forward to tag Eric King for an unassisted double play.
Ole Miss answered Tennessee's one-run seventh with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Charlie Babineaux drove in Chris Coghlan with an RBI double, and Babineaux scored on Presley's two-out single for a 7-3 Ole Miss lead.
The Volunteers scored added another run in the top of the eighth, but Anthony Cupps pitched a scoreless ninth for the Rebels.
Since losing both games of a doubleheader against Auburn on April 11, the Rebels have won five straight going into Tuesday's home game against No. 13 Southern Miss.