The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 10, 1981, Image 17
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.