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Pompey Delivers Again in Clutch as Hogs Rally, Win Series Over Gamecocks

South Carolina comes out with focus after coach leaving overnight, but Razorbacks go extra immings for win
Bob Stephens|
TJ Pompey is having fun in South Carolina as he's homered and doubled to help the Razorbacks win the first two games of the SEC series. He scored the winning run Saturday in the 10th inning.
TJ Pompey is having fun in South Carolina as he's homered and doubled to help the Razorbacks win the first two games of the SEC series. He scored the winning run Saturday in the 10th inning. | Arkansas Communications

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Arkansas Razorbacks

COLUMBIA, S.C. - TJ Pompey delivered the game's biggest hit in the 10th inning and scored the decisive run as the No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks rallied from behind to beat a determined South Carolina club 3-2 Saturday.

Pompey doubled down the left-field line, advanced to third on Nolan Souza's bunt base hit, and scored on Camden Kozeal's one-out grounder to second.

It was an exciting and satisfying comeback for the Hogs, who clinched their second straight SEC series win in two weeks.

Razorbacks reliever Cole Gibler retired the Gamecocks in order in the bottom of the 10th to give the Hogs their fifth straight win and send South Carolina to its seventh consecitive setback.

Gibler (3-0) tossed 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of Arkansas starter Hunter Dietz, who was terrific while striking out a dozen before giving way with two outs in the seventh.

Arkansas improved to 18-6 overall and 4-1 in the SEC. South Carolina slumped to 12-12 and 0-5.

Arkansas trailed 2-1 in the ninth inning and was down to its final out but tied the score 2-2 thanks to a pair of miscues by the Gamecocks' defense.

Hogs catcher Ryder Helfrick walked with one out, advanced to second on a passed ball, to third on a groundout to first, and came home on a throwing error when Maika Niu grounded to short.

The Hogs' lone run before the ninth inning was a two-out solo home run by leadoff hitter Damian Ruiz. It was just his third of the season but second in two games this weekend at Founders Park.

In his last four games, Ruiz has swung a hot bat. He's 8-for-15 with 11 RBIs, nine runs scored plus seven walks. He's a fixture at the top of the Hogs' lineup.

Pompey had struggled in his first season as a transfer from Texas Tech, where he enjoyed an outstanding season as a sophomore shortstop. He was benched for the Hogs' SEC opener March 13 against Mississippi State but delivered a dramatic game-winning home run to right-center as a pinch-hitter leading off the bottom of the ninth inning.

He's been in coach Dave Van Horn's lineup ever since, although as the Hogs' third baseman. Kozeal has been playing shortstop with Nolan Souza at second base and the Arkansas lineup has clicked.

In the last seven games, including his home run to beat MSU, Pompey is 9-for-26 with nine runs scored, five RBIs, a pair of walks and three home runs. And don't forget Saturday's clutch double leading off the 10th.

Pompey was tabbed the No. 82 player in the nation and the top shortstop in the state of Texas by Perfect Game as a high school senior.

His only drawback with the Hogs, besides some sloppy defense at shorstop, is striking out. In the last six games, he's whiffed 11 times.

But as long as he is cool in the clutch, he'll remain in Van Horn's lineup.

South Carolina fired its coach, Paul Mainieri, following Arkansas' humiliating 22-6 win Friday night and the Gamecocks played with a new intensity in the series' second game.

The Hogs starting pitcher, Dietz, delivered a terrific performance to keep the visitors close. He engaged with South Carolina starter Amp Phillips in a pitcher's duel. Phillips held the Hogs to just three hits and a run in seven innings.

This was Dietz's third exceptional game in his last four starts. He was relieved with two outs in the seventh with his final line showing five hits, two walks and two earned runs to go with 12 strikesouts.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound left-hander rebound from last Saturday's disappointing start in a loss to No. 3 Mississippi State and looks to be a reliable, overpowering arm for the middle game of SEC series for the rest of the season.

Arkansas cruised to its win in the series opener by slugging six home runs and scoring in each inning to take a 17-0 lead in the fourth frame. The Razorbacks scored in each inning through the sixth, aided considerably by Gamecocks pitchers who walked a dozen Hogs and hit three more.

Apparently, it was the final straw for South Carolina's athletic administration as Gamecocks coach Paul Mainieri was fired. His 40-plus seasons as a head coach included stops at St. Thomas University, the Air Force Academy, Notre Dame and LSU.

He led Notre Dame to the College World Series in 2002 and took LSU there five times, including 2009 when the Tigers won the national championship.

Sunday's series finale between the Razorbacks and Gamecocks is set for a 12:30 start and can be seen on SEC Network+.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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