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i gam: I Baseball Season I By TKACY HELMS Sports tdito> Great works are performed not by 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 Collece World Series whpn it wnnlrl have been ah so easy for the Gamecock baseball team to hang it up, to not reach back for that extra effort, to be satisfied with an already successful season. There was the five-run lead 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, of 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 amnnu pnllpup hacohaii'c 0 UUOVUU1I O 1 111(11 1' UU1 of the 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 trip to the CWS, ??-: nf~ numc* nei By TRACY HELMS Sports Editor Coach June Raines was naturally pleased wi performance in the College World Series but, time, couldn't help thinking of what might have "I'm very pleased with the series, of course,' Monday. "We felt like we were as good as any te arid WP wprp iiist nnp nr tu/n nlauc frnm anirta all Raines pointed to pitching as the factor that k bettering a fourth-place finish. "I 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 j 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 * named recently to the S C. Coaches' All-State t up 14 hits and nine runs in just 6 and 2/3 inn Oklahoma State and then Arizona State. Women's Tern Carolina's women's tennis opened play i and softball teams recently nament June 3 fc ended successful seasons 9-0 decision to with unsuccessful tour- women bounce namenta, while the Lady next day with t Gamecock golf team is sixth-seeded Sa awaitingpoBt neason action. to stay alive. T The women's tennis team Lady Game concluded Its season FWday largely due I , ' with i 5-4 loset to Brigham < showings in the Young in the AIAW national singles. iirurney at l empe, Ariz. USC, which The consolation-bracket tourney through 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 Gan capturarme wlff. their opertngT^ smashing Virgi CAROLINA, WHICH advance to a si FINISHED the year at 1JH2, duel with archriv rnor,t Ends At 46-15 and like the previous trips of '75 and '77, tine 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 heartstopping, 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 Stfltp had pnnnprtpH for 10 hits and five nine off starter Dennis Lubert, while Cowboy hurler Darren Dilks had held the Gamecocks scoreless. But USC managed to tally when Jamey Thaw hitmto a fielder's choice in the seventh, sending home Rob Lowery, who had doubled and advanced on 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 bottom of the ninth, sending the contest 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 fpat not Hnnr? cinpp 1CC.? in PWC nlo? _ oml . ..v? V.WV At/l'V III ? Tf KJ piuj " UlfcU Curl added a two-run blast to boost Carolina to an error-plagued 12-7 triumph over Maine J11062- o See ASU, page 10 used With 1 "I wish I did know why Dennis th his team's been," Raines pondered. "But at the same have t0 wlth Vour aee llke the Oklahoma State did just that Raines said serjes opener for USC, and the am out there, Gamecocks scoreless for se> the way. huH (ivnoptoH niibc /-* /???*>/> ? ?w?v. vrt^vivu lyiino IU CUI11C VJ ept USC from heard from the scouts that Dilk or six innings, so we waited. " in a way with THE WAITING PAYED off,; I. "The main in the seventh and two more ir just walked a then added a ninth-inning run ; Rogers. n of why USC "That comeback was super, nfrn I hn (mip i - ? 11A VI/ VIIV* WUI " wouia win me game,'' Haines . The junior Won that one we would have bee lim Curl was Oklahoma State was." earn ? gave lings against Haines admitted that the 6-5 Mississippi State was a nailbite lis, Softball Se n the tour- Clemson's Jennifer Hirsch >y dropping a and Susan Rimes defeated UCLA. The Carol Renz and Grace id 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 he victory for Tennessee in a co?|(M>latloncocks was round match and earn third to strong in Uw region. No.4, 5 and 6 CAROLINA'S SOFTBALL entered the SQUAD concluded the an at large season by absorbing f?nn. c imra in uie secutive shutouts in the tournament. AIAW national chamlecocks won pionships. giorr match: The " La dy"Ga rtfeC<Sc nia 9-0 to opened play in the Norman, *cond-round Okla. event May 21 by abal Clemson. sorbing a 3-0 loes to UCLA. < I ;-; -;> ;; v \;lv^ V'r,," ''s''^' ;^jjj^^^^^^^5^^H"i^",',*-~r''.J v^ , .:"? _Tj |.v%i*3feT* ' - l^.-'^ wim'#j4:fj|r :;^^"^s?^^^H?i^WP?fis| ,*:*: 4jr ^S558H^HKBBHt^BB|(P^ j*t&^B& i ||;^ ^ ^^^22^5@^*O^K::x il|MRr ; J|kF: I Spv jSg '' fifejl flFiW >x^* il ,. ; J^P?f [ ? M \ -:y .-. Al ^K =? ,,-f"1 k -7 coiS.:- rr^:^ zi^'vi- \_ ?? , ? ~^^\L^J^-T ~?-T!LkiL *~>\ J> -^C_r'<: -' ??fe"v' X,^~ ^ .United Preh International Coach June Raines and pitcher Don Gordon celebrate an 11-5 regforf win over Memphis State May 25. | _ Tournament Outcome 1 > wasn't as effective as he has Bobby Kish and Rob Lowery. wnen you get out there, you "It was just one uf those games that could hnfe gone either rest of the teams." way," he reflected. "Our pitchers were toug through the early going, but their power hitters put them jack into the ? go with their ace ? in the game. But Bobby (Kish) came on and did an a mazing relief . Cowboys'Darren Dilks held job once again. J fen innings. Raines, however, ut throwing hard. "We had "I HAVE TO GIVE Rob Lowery all the crei ; in the world s usually gets tired after five for the play," Raines said of catcher Lower r's call for a pitchout that stranded a Bulldog runner bet* >en third and home and eliminated a possible tying run in he eighth inas Carolina recorded one run ning. "We had discussed the play before, but ie called it at i 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 Gamecdcks. And how and after it we thought we does Haines feel about it? recalled. "If we would have fe: I I n in the driver's seat just like "I wish you hadn't mentioned that," Ra ifes said. "But . 1 that's the name of the game ? you've gotta l|se 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 t&e. r, and praised the kev Dlav of "Wp finiehpH fourth in tHo noHnn ?? - - ? . uuuii uuu uKiv-D luoi au[n;i. H 7 asons End At Tourneys ? ua?s Karen Andrews June 17-20 for the AIAW USC, rankfd throughout allowed only four hits, while national championship. the season, finished ine striking out 12. Amy Lyons The Lady Gamecocks, seasonwitwii 17-5mark. connected for two of USC's ranked 17th in the final , hits, and Maureen Ahern and national poll, were awarded :--y Dee Dee Kish each added a tourney bid May 27. <mo. Wallace was USC freshman Lynn Wk ( given the loss. ?stirner, who holds the J Texas A&M delivered a 4-0 nation's 13th best scoring W 1 decision to the Lady average, was named . H Gamecocks th* ? - ? .uuvwiug iwcmiy 10 me AIAW All- i day. American-All-Region II X Jr 1 (JSC, which ended the team. One of 10 players fSgigBy I season at 27-15, has never named to the squad, Stiffler WiHT,, > I won a game in their fo*ir sports a 73.6 average. riff jffa' W J nattomflgr~ ~?~^AiTOErN'*rr--iirRN^s - ^ 1 TENNIS team wn? mntoH WOMEN'S 15th in the season s final Coletto Bennett M UOLF squad joins it teams collegiate tennis poll.