April 23, 2003

Oxford, Miss.- Memphis snapped a six-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over SEC-foe Ole Miss at Swayze Field Wednesday Night. Centerfielder Kevin House had his fifth-straight multiple-hit game as the Tigers (13-28) pounded out 14 hits in their first victory over Ole Miss (25-17) since Dave Anderson's first year in 2001. Houses' first-inning single extended his overall hitting streak to eight games. Second baseman Michael Lewis and shortstop Brent Dlugach each had two hits a pair of RBIs for the Tigers.

"This one feels good," Anderson said. "Our pitching did an outstanding job and our defense came up with some big plays and we got clutch hits when we needed too. This will give us some momentum heading into a big weekend series with Charlotte."

Memphis took advantage of control problems by Ole Miss starter Jeremy Zick (3-4) in the first inning as the Tigers grabbed a 1-0 lead. Zick allowed a pair of hits, a walk and threw two wild pitches in the inning allowing Memphis to take the early lead. Tigers' centerfielder Kevin House led off the game with a single and advanced around to third on a passed ball by catcher Charlie Waite and the first wild pitch by Zick, respectively. Junior Michael Lewis then brought House in with a RBI single through the left side.

The Tigers added a run in the third off Zick to take a 2-0 advantage. Moss and catcher Kurt Welch each hit one-out singles and leftfielder Ryan Martin drove Moss in with a sacrifice fly. True freshman Stephen Gostkowski, a native of Madison, Miss., kept the Rebels off the scoreboard in his three innings of work allowing just one run and striking out three in his first outing as a collegian in his home state. Gostkowksi was credited with the win lifting his record to 2-4 on the season.

The Rebels threatened in the fifth as they put runners on first and third after a fielding error with two outs, but reliever Corey Kines was able to get first baseman Stephen Head to line out to House in center field. Kines pitched out of another potential jam in the sixth after Waite doubled and moved to third on a passed ball by Welch with only one out. The righthander struck the next two Rebels out though to leave Waite standing on third.

Memphis put two more runs on the board to take a 4-0 advantage in an exciting top of the seventh inning. Rightfielder Jordan Hart started the two-run inning with a double down the left field line. Hart would score on a Kevin House double that hit the third base bag and trickled slowly into foul territory. House advanced to third on the play when the throw came into second base allowing House to move over. The speedy centerfielder scored on the next pitch when he broke for home on a squeeze attempt that Lewis bunted over the head of Ole Miss reliever Brae Wright for a RBI single.

The Rebels put a run on the board off Kines in the eighth after Waite doubled and scored on a pinch-hit single by Justin Donovan with two outs. Matt Tolbert would be the first batter faced by lefthander Brandon Rowan who relieved Kines after a season-high 4.2 innings worked by the righthander. Tolbert tried to bunt his way on and did so successfully as Rowan threw the ball away down the first base line, but the inning ended when Hart backed up the play and threw Donovan out at the plate as he tried to score from first on the errant throw.

Shortstop Brent Dlugach came up with a two-run triple in the ninth to extend the Tigers' lead to 6-1. It was the second triple of the season for Dlugach. Welch and pinch-hitter Chad House each had singles in the inning and scored on the triple off Ole Miss reliever Taylor Fowler.

Ole Miss mounted a ninth-inning rally plating a pair of runs off Rowan, but reliever Erik Filsinger was able to get Charlie Babineaux to fly out to left field to end the contest. Filsinger pitched two-thirds of an inning to pick up his first save of the season. First baseman Stephen Head had a RBI single and Chad Sterbens had a fielder's choice RBI. Ole Miss had the tying run at the plate, but Filsinger was able to pitch out of a first-and-third situation with one out to preserve the Tigers' first victory over Ole Miss since 2001.

The Tigers travel to Charlotte this weekend for a three-game Conference USA series with the 49ers.