No. 2 regional seed Ole Miss defeated No. 3 Arizona State, 7-6, in 14 innings with a Brayden Randle walk-off in the Lincoln Regional. The game started on Friday, May 29 and ended on Saturday, May 30.
With the win Ole Miss advances to the winners bracket game against host Nebraska on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
Before walking it off in the 14th inning, the Rebels went 10 innings without scoring a run. Relievers Walker Hooks and Hudson Calhoun held the Sun Devils offense in check for nine innings. The lone flaw on their night was a two-run, game-tying homer run off Hooks in the seventh.
Ace Hunter Elliott opened the regional for Ole Miss. He threw 97 pitches in five innings, allowed four earned runs, gave up six hits, walked four and struck out four.
In the first, he walked the leadoff hitter on a full count and surrendered a single to put two runners on with no outs. The Sun Devils got on the board first with an RBI single to right field. Tristan Bissetta got the first out of the inning with a perfect throw and tag at third.
Third baseman Judd Utermark could not handle a hard hit ball and it trickled into left field. Left fielder Tate Sirmans was slow to the ball, allowing the runners to reach second and third.
A second run scored on a groundout. Shortstop Owen Paino made a play to his left and threw the runner out at first to prevent another run. Elliott struck out the next batter swinging to end the frame.
He allowed three singles and a walk on 25 pitches. Two great defensive plays got him out of the frame with only two runs allowed.
Utermark hit his 50th collegiate home run to make it 2-1 in the bottom of the first. The shot was a no-doubter to right-center field. In the third, the ASU two-hole hitter hit a homer to reestablish a two-run lead, 3-1.
Sirmans led off the bottom of the third with a single to left. All three of Ole Miss’ hits to that point came from righties. Sun Devil lefty starter Cole Carlon had no problems with the lefties the first time through the order, but the second time was a different story.
Decker walked on four pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs for Utermark, who hit a swinging bunt and nearly legged out an infield single, but the Arizona State third baseman made a nice play to get the out. Both Rebel runners moved up 90 feet.
First baseman Will Furniss roped a double to right-center that nearly left the yard and tied the ballgame. The double was the first hit of the game by a Rebel lefty. Bissetta followed it up with a 432 foot moonshot to the parking lot to put Ole Miss up 5-3.
The Rebels got the first out of the fourth on a soft grounder to first. Furniss had to go a ways to his right on the play, almost allowing the runner to reach safely, but Elliott took the toss from Furniss and both he and the runner slid into first, with Elliott beating him to the bag.
Elliott worked his first 1-2-3 inning, which included three-straight swings and misses for a strikeout.
Fawley walked to begin the bottom of the fourth. Carlon threw a wild pitch, allowing Fawley to move into scoring position with one out. Decker came through with a two-out RBI knock to make it 6-3.
The Sun Devils got one back in the fifth with a homer, 6-4. Elliott put the game-tying run on first with back-to-back two-out walks. He got out of the jam with a ball hit right back at him and a toss to first.
Hooks relieved Elliott in the sixth. Hooks retired the bottom third of the ASU lineup in order on 13 pitches.
The Rebels went down 1-2-3 for the second straight inning in the sixth. They held a narrow 6-4 lead with the top of the ASU order due up in the seventh.
Hooks walked Landon Hairston to start the inning and Nu’u Contrades hit his second homer of the game to tie it, 6-6. Hooks got the next three hitters out to mitigate the damage.
Carlon returned to the mound for his seventh inning of work. The Rebels had not had a runner on base since the fourth. Decker broke that streak after reaching on a two-out error, which chased Carlon from the game. Despite giving up six earned runs, he gave the Sun Devils much needed length and kept them in the game.
New reliever Taylor Penn struck Utermark out to end the inning. Hooks stayed out for the eighth needing to keep the game tied. He got the first batter to ground out, then gave up a single. Decker and Paino nearly turned two, but could not get the runner at first. Furniss caught a pop up for the third out.
ASU sent in lefty reliever Sean Fitzpatrick for the eighth. Furniss singled to leadoff the inning. It was Ole Miss’ first hit since the fourth inning. Center fielder Hayden Federico reached on a hot shot right at the shortstop.
Both teams made moves after the hit. ASU removed Fitzpatrick. Ole Miss put Cannon Goldin in as a pinch runner for Furniss and Brayden Randle as a pinch hitter for designated hitter Collin Reuter.
Randle nearly put the Rebels ahead with a liner to right field, but the Dean Toigo came up with the catch for the second out. Fawley drew a walk to load the bases, then Paino struck out to end the inning.
Luke Romine, batting in the three spot, replaced Furniss at first base. Ole Miss needed one run in the ninth to win and avoid extras. Decker worked a full-count walk. Utermark came to the plate with the game-winning run on first. He moved Decker to scoring position with a fielder’s choice. Romine struck out on a check swing and the game went to extra innings.
Hooks returned to the mound for the 10th. The Sun Devils leadoff batter reached to start the inning. Hooks fielded a ball right back at him and turned two, 1-6-3, to clear the bases. Bissetta caught a fly out to end the inning.
Ole Miss had a chance to end the game in the 10th. Federico and Randle hit back-to-back infield singles to get runners on first and third with one out. Fawley and Paino struck out to keep the game going.
Hooks came back out for the 11th. His sixth inning of work. He walked the first batter, then ASU laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second. That was Hooks’ last batter before Calhoun came on in relief.
Calhoun got a long fly out, allowing the runner to advance to third, for the second out. The Rebels intentionally walked lefty Hairston in favor of righty Contrades, who Calhoun struck out swinging to keep it tied.
Federico doubled with one out in the 12th and advanced to third on a wild pitch. ASU brought in their center fielder as another infielder in hopes of getting the out at home on a ground ball.
Randle hit it to the second baseman who made the throw to home and the catcher tagged Federico out. Fawley grounded out and the game went on to the 13th.
Romine and Bissetta walked to begin the bottom of the 14th. Federico hit an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Arizona State brought in its center fielder to the infield again with Randle up to bat.
This time Randle walked it off with a single to right field to win the game 7-6.
What’s next?
Ole Miss will face host Nebraska at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. ESPNU will broadcast the game.
