The turnaround for Ole Miss baseball this year has been nothing short of spectacular. While the team’s run at the end of the regular season was impressive in itself, including sweeps of Missouri and LSU, the postseason streak is even more so.
The Rebels are the only undefeated team left in this year’s NCAA Tournament after Texas A&M fell to Oklahoma on Day 1 of the College World Series, as the Rebels were poised to take on SEC foe Auburn on Day 2.
The Rebel offense got started early, scoring two runs in the top of the first on a two-RBI single by DH Kemp Alderman that scored Kevin Graham and Tim Elko. Graham then homered in the third to make it a 3-zip lead for the Rebs, the beginning of a monster day for Graham that saw him go 3-for-5 with a homer and a double.
After adding two more in the sixth, Ole Miss had a 5-0 lead going into the seventh before the Tigers scored their only run of the contest via an RBI-single by right fielder Bobby Peirce.
Starting for the Rebels was newfound ace Dylan DeLucia who has been a much-needed workhorse for this Ole Miss squad over the stretch of the tournament, giving up only nine hits and four runs over 11.2 innings pitched. Game 1 of the series proved no different as he went seven and two-thirds allowing four hits, one run and 10 punch-outs.
DeLucia ran into a little trouble in the seventh, as Auburn had two on, no outs and one run already scored. How did DeLucia respond? By sitting down three straight Tigers with a strikeout, fly out and a pop out, showing what it means to be cool under pressure. After an error in the bottom of the eighth, DeLucia’s day was done, giving way to right-handed reliever Josh Mallitz to slam the door.
Similar to DeLucia, Mallitz has been on fire as of late for the Rebs. In his last six outings, he has posted 24 strikeouts, no runs and only five hits in 16 innings of work. Mallitz finished this one without giving up a hit or a run in an inning and a third.
This win increased the Rebels’ streak to six in a row in the postseason. It also pushed them into the winners’ bracket, setting up a match-up with SEC West opponent, the Arkansas Razorbacks. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT Monday.
