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Softball season comes to a close BY MATT ROTHENBERG THE GAMECOCK So close. UCLA pitcher Keira Goerl ended the Lady Gamecocks' postseason by retiring Meghan Cornett and Tia Rogers with two runners on base to send the top-ranked Bruins to the Women's College World Series by a 1- 0 score. It was an elimination game for both teams, as USC defeated UCLA 2- 1 earlier in the day, for the pro gram's 1,000th victory. In that game, freshman Aleca Johnson shoul dered the load after senior Megan Matthews took a hit off her arm, picking up the win when Cornett scored in the seventh inning. Coach Joyce Compton was proud of her club following the loss to UCLA. "To come out against UCLA, the number one team in the country and be down 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning and pull it out in the first game, and then almost do the same in the next game, I can't really ask much more from these kids. They believed that they could do it, right down to the last out," she said. A 9-3 win over Georgia set up the match with the #1 team in the na tion. That victory was particularly sweet, as the Bulldogs knocked the Lady Gamecocks out of the SEC tciu. nament with a pair of wins (6-5, 4-3) in Chattanooga, Tenn. Carolina advanced to play Georgia in Chattanooga by defeat ing Mississippi State 11-5 and Alabama 6-4. Selected to host one of eight Regionals by the NCAA, the Lady Gamecocks beat Eastern Kentucky 2-1 in an eight-inning affair to open up the tournament. Cornett drove in Debralee Troesh for the deciding run. In their next game, Carolina was no-hit by Georgia's Michelle Green, as Kim Wendland's first inning sac rifice fly was the difference. However, a six-run fifth inning, led by Cornett's two-run single and Samantha Jennings' three-run home run, eliminated the Bulldogs 9-3 the following day. For Matthews, the end of her ca reer was a bittersweet experience. "As far as going out, it is tremen dously sad, because it has been my life forever. The way we went out was awesome. I'm in chills just thinking about how proud I am of [my teammates]. They came out with so much heart and so much de termination," she said. "I think that * next year that they are going to come out and do it <tr>.d I am so proud to be wearing garnet and black right now.” Compton, co-winner of SEC Coach of the Year, is very optimistic about next season. "I feel real good leaving this sea son the way we ended it. Of course, we'd like to be the ones going to Oklahoma City, but it wasn't meant to be this year," she said. "With what we have coming back and leaving the field with the feeling that we had today, I really feel we have some thing to work for over the summer and feel real good about the future." Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@hotma i l. com BRIEFLY Jordan nixes off season surgery Michael Jordan has decided not to have surgery on his left knee as he considers whether to play an other season with the Washington Wizards, a source close to Jordan said Monday. Jordan had surgery on his right knee in February, causing him to cut short his comeback season. He played 60 games before going on the injured list in early April. The operation repaired torn car tilage and cleaned up some of the wear and tear the joint had accu mulated over 14 NBA seasons. Jordan said at the time that he was considering having offseason surgery on the left knee as a pre caution, so a similar problem wouldn't flare up should he decide to play next season. " The source also said Jordan had yet to resume offseason workouts, and that the decision not to have surgery does not mean he has de cided whether he will play again. Jordan is expected to take most of the summer to make up his mind, as he did last year. Manager fired The Toronto Blue Jays fired man ager Buck Martinez on Monday af ter the team's worst start in two decades. Toronto third-base coach Carlos Tosca has been named Martinez's successor. Martinez becomes the fifth man ager fired since opening day. Defray fired Phil Garner, Colorado replaced Buddy Bell, Kansas City dismissed Tony Muser and Milwaukee fired Davey Lopes. The Blue Jays, third worst in the American League with a 20-33 record, swept a three-game week end series against Detroit but that didn't stop the team from replacing the second-year manager. Martinez, an ESPN analyst be fore the Blue Jays hired him, still has another year-plus left on his original three-year contract signed when he was hired in November 2000. Peters CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 putting USC on the road to a 6-3 win. In his laid-back manner, true to his California roots, Peters said of the bomb, "Starting off good is a positive thing." Peters’ positive things were not' finished there, as he was almost as deadly as the near triple digit tem peratures to the Tarheel pitching on Saturday and Sunday. Yaron belted two homers, was hit by a pitch twice and involved in a vio lent home plate collision with UNC catcher Chris Iannetta in the 9-6 win on Saturday Peters limped to the podium in the interview room afterwards and quietly said, ”1 feel good, my body feels fine." Fine was clearly an understate ment. Peters' second blast of the day, his 24th shot of the year broke Joe Datin's single-season record for homeruns, held since 1985. He struck again in Sunday's first game, connecting on another home run in the eighth inning. In the nightcap Yaron drove in all three Gamecock runs in the decisive win, giving him 90 RBI's for the year also surpassing Datin in the record books. Peters was named tournament MVP after the game, finishing with a .625 average, six homeruns and eight RBI’s. An emotional UNC head coach Mike Fox simply could not find a way to contain Peters in the Regional. "He kind of put them on his back and said come on...ride me to the championship," Fox said. A ride the low-key first baseman from California hopes will contin ue all the way to the College World Series. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Baseball CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 less for three innings and Taylor recorded the final out for his 20th save of the year. Tanner was relieved to come out with the win. "This was a true back yard brawl... a great college base ball game." Tanner continued, "We were spent at the end of the game; It was a true battle." Sunday: UNC 8, USC 4 After staving off elimination by defeating James Madison on Saturday night the Tarheels set up a Sunday rematch with the Gamecocks. UNC came out swing ing against losing pitcher Steven Bondurant and quickly built up a 5 1 lead that they would never relin quish. The Tarheels early offense was highlighted by a two-run home run by third-string catcher Ryan Blake. Blake was playing in place of Chris Iannetta who suffered a deep thigh bruise during a home plate collision with Peters on Saturday afternoon, and after second-string catcher Ron Braun was hospitalized after acci dentally drinking ammonia during Saturday night's game with JMU. Sunday: USC 3, UNC 1 Teammates and roommates Peters and Taylor carried the Gamecocks past the Tarheels in Sunday night’s championship game. Taylor, in his first start of the year, pitched a complete game striking out eleven and allowed one run on seven hits. He fired a career-high 156 pitches, and seven of his strikeout victims were caught looking. Taylor found himself in only one jam all evening: a bases loaded two-out situation in the sixth in ning. Chad Prosser, the UNC batter at the time, had homered in his last last at-bat for the only Tarheel run, but Taylor retired him on a 2-2 fly ball to end the inning. Peters again supplied all the USC offense with a first-inning two run home run, and a solo shot over the Palmettos in leftfield in the eighth inning. Taylor struck out the last two Tarheelbatters looking to the de light of the packed house at Sarge Frye Field. . Tanner lauded Taylor's com plete game victory "I had no idea we could get that kind of perf!»/ mance...that’s just a performance of heart and character," Tanner said. He also acknowledged the fan’s support during the oppressive heat as a factor in the victory "I’m real ly proud of our fans. They are a ma jor part of our success and the play ers and I are very grateful for their support." Comments on this story? E mail *' gamecocksports@hotmail.com NCAA SUPER REGIONAL TICKET INFORMATION use and Miami (Fla.) will play this week end at Sarge Frye Field in an NCAA Super Regional. First pitch on Friday will be at 7 p.m. with Saturday's game also at 7 p.m. Sunday's game (if necessary) is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The winner of this weekend's Super Regional will advance to the College World Series. Tickets for the NCAA Super Regional may be purchased at the USC ticket office or by call ing 803-777-4274 or 1-800-4SC-FANS. Ticket prices for adults are $35.00 for the entire re gional tournament with USC students and youth ticket prices at $25.00. South Carolina enters this weekend with a 51-15 record, while the Hurricanes of Miami come in with a 33-27 record.