The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 10, 1981, Image 16
I GAM]
I Baseball Season
By TRACY HELMS
Sports Editor
Great works are performed not hv
-
strength but by perseverance.
--Samuel Johnson, 1781
We just stuck our noses out and hung in
there.
-June Raines, 1981
There were times, many times, during the
NCAA Colle"? World Series when it would
h o\T?? Kaa? r 41
..??v. wvtu easy ior me liamecock
baseball team 10 hang it up, to not reach
back for that extra effort, to be satisfied
with an already successful season. There
was the five-ri 'ead by Oklahoma State in
the opener, the infest of errors against
Maine, the three-innings of sure-fire scoring
threats in the Mississippi State game, and.
I ol course, the bruising bats that allowed
Arizona State to jump well ahead in the
fourth contest.
But it didn't take long for observers at the
Omaha, Neb. event - as well as anyone else
who lent an ear or eye to the proceedings - to
realize that it would never happen that way.
From USC's opening CWS contest, the
Gamecocks made it evident that they were
there to fight, not fold.
And they did fight. After scratching and
scrapping in an opening-game loss, Coach
June Raines' never-say-die squad outlasted
opponents in the following two outings to
finish among college baseball's Final Four
oi tne 1981 season, ending the year with a 4615
record, including a 2-2 CWS mark.
THE SERIES ENDED in a loss, and
therefore disappointment for USC, but not
before the team - who only a few weeks
earlier had sweated out a post-season bid ~
had overcame unfavorable odds by endurance.
It was Carolina's third trin to th*? rwc
Raines Plei
By TRACY HELMS
Sports Editor
Coach June Raines was naturally pleased \vi
performance in the College World Series but,
nine, cuuian i neip imnKing oi wnal might have i
"I'm very pleased with the series, of course,'
Monday. "We felt like we were as good as any te;
and we were just one or two plays from going all
Raines pointed to pitching as the factor that k<
bettering a fourth-place finish.
,4I WAS PLEASED in a way and disappointed
our pitching," the fifth-year head coach said
thing that hurt us in the series was walks ? we
few too many."
Raines was admittedly puzzled on the questioi
ace Dennis Lubert, who carried a 12-1 record i
nament, was heavily shelled in two contests
lefthander ? who along with Paul Hollins and .
a-, it r% /i ? ? 4 " ^1
iicwiitu iccciuiy 10 me ^oacnes AH-siate i
up 14 hits and nine runs in just 6 and 2/3 inr
Oklahoma State and then Arizona State.
Women's Teni
Carolina's women's tennis opened play i
and softhall tpams p^onn.. > ?
vw>?aaw * WVIIllJ 11(4111^111 UUHC O I
ended successful seasons 9-0 decision to
with unsuccessful tour- women bouncc
naments, while the Lady next day with t
Gamecock golf team is sixth-seeded Sa
awaiting post-season action. to stay alive. T1
The women's tennis team Lady Game*
concluded its season Friday largely due
with a 5-4 loss to Brigham showings in the
Young in the AIAW national singles.
tourney at Tempe, Ariz. USC, which
?rv??. ? *
a are vuiisuzuuun-DracKei loumey tnrougl
match went to the third set of bid, had placed
of the No.3 doubles pairing AIAW Region II
before BYU, seeded fourth, The Lady Gai
capturefftliewiff, their openings
smashing Virf
CAROLINA. WHICH advance to a i
. FINISHED the year at 19-12, duel with arehri
i
BGOCI
ends At 46-15
and like the previous trips of '75 and '77, the
Gamecocks made it to the Final Four. In the
first two tourneys, however, USC continued
to the championship game, but then lost to
Texas and Arizona State, respectively.
Carolina began CWS action by absorbing
a hearts topping, heartbreaking 8-5 loss to
Oklahoma State May 30.
Cowboy center fielder Stan Baughn
tagged a three-run home run off Bobby Kish
in the bottom of the tenth to downplay a
valiant USC rally and give OSU the win.
THROUGH SIX INNINGS, Oklahoma
State had connected for 10 hits and five runs
off starter Dennis Lubert, while Cowboy
hurler Darren Dilks had held the
Gamecocks scoreless. But USC managed to
tally when Jamey Thaw hit into a fielder's
choice in the seventh, sending home Rob
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a Chris Boyle single.
Carolina continued the surge in the surge
in the eighth inning as Paul Hollins
unleashed a double to score Rod Carraway
and Jim Curl after their respective singles.
Lowery then singled in Hollins to cut OSU's
advantage to 5-4.
Two outs into the ninth inning, all USC
hopes fell on Carraway. The Tampa, Fla.
native responded with a double down the
left-field line that scored Jamey Thaw, who
led off the inning with a single.
Kish easily retired the OSU side in the
*u? 1? at
uuitum ui uic niuui, seuuing me coniesi into
extra innings.
But after USC failed to score in the top of
the tenth, Baughn converted Kish's pitch to
a three-run blast, giving the Cowboys the
win.
LOWERY SMASHED TWO home runs - a
feat not done since 19f>6 in CWS play - and
Curl added a two-run blast to boost Carolina
to an error-plagued 12-7 triumph over Maine
June 2.
CAA A CI I in
aw nj\/, IV
used With'
"I wish I did know why Denni
ih hi* tpam's been," Raines pondered. "But
at the same have to go with your ace like th(
^?n-' i Oklahoma State did just that
Haines said C(irioc ttop ?i *u.
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am out there, Gamecocks scoreless for se
the way. had expected Dilks to come <
spt USC from heard from the scouts that DM
or six innings, so we waited. "
in a way with THE WAITING PAYED off,
"The main in the seventh and two more i
just walked a then added a ninth-inning run
Rogers.
nof why USC "That comeback was super
into the tour- would win the game," Raines
. The junior won that one we would have be*
Jim Curl was Oklahoma State was."
pam ? tfavo
6""lings
against Haines admitted that the 6-E
Mississippi State was a nailbit*
nis, Softball Sc
n the tour- Clemson's Jennifer Hirsch
)y dropping a and Susan Rimps HpfootoH
UCLA. The Carol Renz and Grace
;d back the Barrie in the No. 3 doubles to
i 5-4 upset of post a 5-4 win for the Tigers,
n Diego State USC went on to defeat
le victory for Tennessee in a consolationcocks
was round match and earn third
to strong in the region.
No.4, 5 and 6
CAROLINA'S SOFTBALL
entered the SQUAD concluded the
ti an at-large season by absorbing conI
(KirH in #h*? ?'? * *
v. ... ?.v Bvcuuve snuiouiS in tne
[tournament. AIAW national chammecocks
won pionships.
legion match; TKe~ XA dy~~Ga m eCtfci kX
jinia 9-0 to opened play in the Norman,
second-round Okla. event May 21 by abival
Clemson. sorbing a 3-0 loea to UCLA.
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Press international
Coach June Raines and pitcher Don Gordon celebrate an 11-5 region win over
Memphis State May 25.
*
Tournament Outcome
s wasn't as effective as he has Bobby Kish and Rob Lowery.
when you get out there, you "It was just one of those games that could have gone either
; rest of the teams." way," he reflected. "Our pitchers were tough through the
early going, but their power hitters put them back into the
? go with their ace ? in the game. But Bobby (Kish) came on and did an amazing relief
; Cowboys' Darren Dilks held job once again.
ven innings. Raines, however,
out throwing hard. "We had "I HAVE TO GIVE Rob Lowery all the credit in the world
is usually gets tired after five for the play," Raines said of catcher Lowery's call for a
pitchout that stranded a Bulldog runner between third and
home and a nnccihla ?;"U4U
__ ^saasaaaasM w%? m |/vrkJU>MAV tj II1^ A till All HIC CI^lllIl 111"*
as Carolina recorded one run ning. "We had discussed the play before, but he called it at
n the eighth off of Dilks, and the right time."
at the expense of OSU's Tim
The series ended the 1981 season very successfully, but it
also ended USC careers for nine senior Gamecocks. And how
, and after it we thought we does Raines feel about it?
recalled. "If we would have
en in the driver's seat just like "I wish you hadn't mentioned that," Raines said. "But.
that's Lie name of the game ? you've gotta lose them some
time. I think Carolina baseball speaks for itself, it's just a
hang-on-to-the-ship win over matter of going out and bringing the players here.
sr, and praised the key play of "We finished fourth in the nation and that's just super."
tosons End At Tourneys
UCLA's Karen Andrews June 17-20 for the AIAW USC, ranked throughout
allowed only four hits, while national championship. the season, finished the
strilrina nut 10 a?>.. * rm-_ * -
0 v?v x*,. nuiy uyvns inc i>aay uamecocks, season with a 27-5 mark.
connected for two of USC's ranked 17th in the final
hits, and Maureen Ahem and national poll, were awarded
Dee Dee Kish each added a tourney bid May 27.
one. Cindy Wallace was USC freshman Lynn
given the loss. Stiffler, who holds the
Texas A&M delivered a 4-0 nation's 13th best scoring
decision to the I.nHv nvArncr? woo
Gamecocks the following recently to the AIAW Allday.
American-AU-Begion II S \ jpT
USC, which ended the team. One of 10 players >L,
season at 27-15, has never named to the squad, Stiffler
won a game in their four sports a 73.6 average.
straight trips to the ' ^PPIllPy 1 jf ***
-tiatronattr "^CAimawji'S?htbn-s?- - JHWHre??"
tennis team was ranked
THE USC WOMEN'S 15th in the season's final Colette Bennett
GOLF squad joins 24 teams collegiate tennis poll. led women (letters. i