Luck did not favor the Rebels this weekend.
Following a clean sweep in Oxford, the Gators defended their No.3 ranking with gusto, beating the Rebels 9-7, 12-8 and 7-4 through the three-game series. Despite being originally scheduled for Friday, a weather delay pushed Game 1 to Saturday, making for an all-day double-header.
The Rebels, ranked 13th in the nation entering the series, held a commanding 6-3 lead in Game 1 entering the eighth inning, before giving up four runs to make the score 7-6, and a final two to close out the affair.
Prior to allowing six-straight runs by Florida, a scoring barrage in the fourth put the Rebels up 5-2, thanks to a double from Peyton Chatagnier which scored Anthony Calarco, as well as a single by Ethan Groff to score TJ McCants.
Ole Miss seemed to rally in the bottom of the ninth, due in no small part to a single from Calvin Harris and a double from Jacob Gonzalez. Strikeouts from Kemp Alderman and McCants put away the hope that seemed to spark, and the Rebels walked away for an hour-long break before taking up the gauntlet again only an hour later.
To contrast the strong start of Game 1, the Rebels were demoralized by an early Florida lead in Game 2. The score read 6-0 entering the bottom of the third. The Rebels were certainly down, but not out.
Five scores later, thanks to doubles by Ethan Lege and Groff, as well as a clutch single by Will Furniss. The Gators made the score 9-5 before a home run from Wyatt Langford pushed Ole Miss to a 9-6 deficit, which is to say that we were once more down, but not out.
Florida added three home runs in the ninth, before Alderman hit a two-run home run to give the final score of 12-8. The series was lost, but Sunday’s game was yet to come, with something to build on hopefully on the horizon.
Ole Miss has not been winless through five games since 1996, but Saturday’s back-to-back losses changed that fact in the record books.
Down 3-2 entering the sixth, the Rebels again had a chance to counterpunch. Three runs for Florida in the eighth trumped two from Ole Miss, and the score stayed at 7-4 through a scoreless ninth inning.
The Rebels will look to rebound in a series at Texas A&M next weekend, and have a solid chance to do well, given the Aggies 22nd overall national ranking.
