Ole Miss Baseball lost its College World Series opener against No. 5 North Carolina on Friday, June 12 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Rebels had a lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Tar Heels scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Rebels went down in order in the top of the first. Taylor Rabe, who has started in both prior postseason game twos, got the start to open the College World Series for Ole Miss. Rabe matched UNC starter Jason DeCaro with a 1-2-3 bottom of the first, striking out two batters swinging in the process.
Rabe got two first pitch outs then walked a batter and gave up a single to put runners on the corners. He struck out the next batter on a full count looking to strand two runners. What could have been a quick inning turned into a 21-pitch frame.
“I thought they weren’t an overly aggressive team. I think they did a good job of making me getting into deep counts and have my pitch count elevated early,” Rabe said in the post game presser. ” I felt like I was getting to two strikes, (then) with two trikes I was making some good pitches and they were fouling them off. I think that’s kind of one of their strengths as a team and their approach as an offense, and they did a really good job (at) that.”
Right fielder Brayden Randle doubled on a pop up down the left field line. The Tar Heel left fielder lost it in the sun, allowing Randle to get to second. Designated hitter Collin Reuter moved Randle to third with a ground out to shortstop.
UNC brought the infield in hoping to gun down the runner at home, but second baseman Dom Decker hit a hustle-double to left-center field to put the Rebels up 1-0.
Rabe retired the Tar Heels in order in the bottom of the third on 14 pitches. The ballpark kept the third out in the yard with Federico tracking the fly ball down at the warning track.
In the fourth, Rabe worked into trouble with two walks, both on full counts. He got a first-pitch roller right back to him to end the inning. The righty was pitching well, but he threw 78 pitches in four innings.
Catcher Austin Fawley walked on four pitches to begin the fifth. Reuter hit a bloop infield single against the shift to get two runners on. Decker and Utermark could not drive in a run and stranded two runners on base.
Rabe walked his fourth batter of the day with one out in the bottom of the fifth, bringing the leadoff hitter to the plate. Federico caught the second out at the warning track, but the fly ball was deep enough for the runner to tag up and move to second. Rabe got the third out with a swinging punch out, stranding another runner on base.
Federico walked with two outs in the sixth. Shortstop Owen Paino drilled a single up the middle, advancing Federico to third. Paino moved to second on the throw to third. Fawley came to the plate with the chance to extend the Rebel lead, but he struck out.
The Tar Heels tied the game with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth off Rabe’s 102 pitch, 1-1. It was just their second hit of the game. Rabe got the next two outs then head coach Mike Bianco brought in Hudson Calhoun.
Rabe threw 108 pitches, a new career high, in 5 ⅔ innings, gave up one earned run on two hits, walked four and struck out seven.
Calhoun struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning.
The Rebels had Randle, Reuter and Decker up to bat in the seventh. DeCaro remained in the game for North Carolina. Ole Miss needed a break through inning.
Decker hit his second double of the day, this time with two outs, to set third baseman Judd Utermark up. DeCaro’s day ended before he could face Utermark. Reliever Caden Glauber came in to face him instead.
The senior was 0-for-3 on the day, but he could erase that with an RBI hit in the seventh. Utermark took the lead for the Rebels with a single to left-center.
Calhoun walked the leadoff man in the bottom of the seventh. He bounced a pitch in the dirt, allowing the runner to advance to second. He walked another batter to put runners on first and second with no outs.
“We gave them seven free base runners,” Bianco said in the post game press conference. “You can’t do that. You can’t do that when the game’s on the line. So we’ve got to attack more, but some of that was their, I think, doing and being able to foul balls off and just grind out some ABs, just lengthening the at-bat until they ended up winning a final 3-2 pitch.”
Bianco pulled Calhoun from the game and brought in Walker Hooks. He got the first out on a sacrifice bunt, but both runners moved up 90 feet. Hooks had to go through the top of the order to escape the inning.
Right fielder Tristan Bissetta caught the second out deep in the outfield. He made a good throw home, but first baseman Will Furniss cut it off and the game-tying run scored, 2-2. Hooks still had the go-ahead run on second. UNC took the lead with a single up the middle, 3-2. It was their first lead of the day.
Ole Miss had Bissetta, Federico and Paino up to bat in the eighth. They had six outs left to tie the game. Paino singled with two outs, but Fawley struck out again to end the inning.
Hooks hit a batter with two outs and gave up a double to put runners in scoring position. The Tar Heels put the game on ice with a three-run home run, 6-2.
The Rebels could not scratch anything across in the ninth with pinch hitter Luke Romine, Reuter or Decker and dropped their College World Series opener 6-2.
What’s next?
Ole Miss will look to stay alive against Troy on Sunday, June 14 at 1 p.m. With a loss, they go home, but they will see another day with a win. ESPN will broadcast the game.
