Ole Miss walked off Arizona State for the second time to win the Lincoln Regional on Sunday, May 31. The win sent the Rebels to the Super Regionals for the first time since 2022.
Second Baseman Dom Decker won the game for Ole Miss with a sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Cannon Goldin in the bottom of the 10th. Wil Libbert and JP Robertson gave the Rebels five innings of shutout baseball to keep the Sun Devils at bay.
“Wil Libbert I thought was the difference in the game for us, and of course, JP Robertson at the end, another great outing,” head coach Mike Bianco said in a postgame press conference. “Just eating up innings for us, but (I’m) just super proud of my guys for hanging in there and making plays, and having great at-bats, and making some pitches when it meant the most.”
The Rebels did not allow a run after the fourth against an Arizona State offense that put up 28 runs in its prior two games.
Notably, Sun Devil Landon Hairston, the Big 12 Player of the Year, was ejected from ASU’s game against Nebraska earlier on Sunday, so he was not available for the regional final.
Cade Townsend started for the Rebels and gave up a solo home run to the first batter. He walked a batter and struck out two in the inning.
Third baseman Judd Utermark hit a one-out double in the bottom of the first, but Ole Miss left him there.
After getting a leadoff fly out, Townsend gave up a single and walked the next two batters to load the bases in the second. Right fielder Tristan Bissetta dropped a fly ball that should have been caught, allowing two runs to score, 3-0. The play was scored a hit.
The Rebels got out of the inning with a strikeout and nice play from shortstop Owen Paino.
Center fielder Hayden Federico reached on an infield single to start the bottom of the second. Paino walked to put runners on first and second for catcher Austin Fawley, who was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs.
Designated hitter Brayden Randle singled to score a run and move everyone up 90 feet. Decker hit a sacrifice fly to the wall to score Paino, 3-2. Furniss could have tied it, but grounded out to end the inning.
After Townsend struck out the side on 13 pitches in the third, Bissetta tied the game with a solo homer to straight-away center field. ASU went to the bullpen after starter Colin Linder walked Federico. The new reliever struck Paino out, then walked Fawley.
Randle stayed hot with a single to left. Federico attempted to score from second, but was thrown out. The Rebels immediately challenged the call. After a lengthy delay, the call stood.
ASU singled to start the fourth. The runner stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Townsend fielded a swinging bunt and had the runner from third caught in no-man’s land. He tossed to the plate and the runner appeared to avoid the tag, but after further review the call was overturned for the second Rebel out.
The batter advanced to second in the brief rundown. Decker had the next batter played perfectly with a shift, but bobbled the ball and the runner beat the throw to first.
Townsend spiked a ball, leading to a wild pitch and an ASU run, 4-3. Paino saved a run with an inning-ending leaping grab.
The Rebels had yet to score off the ASU bullpen. They continued to struggle through the seventh.
Libbert came in to replace Townsend after walked a batter to leadoff the sixth. Townsend pitched five innings, gave up three earned runs on six hits, walked five and struck out seven.
“Townsend wasn’t his normal self tonight, but it may be the gutsiest performance of his career against a really, really good offense,” Bianco said. “We talk about leaving it on the field and emptying the tank and he certainly did that tonight.”
Libbert induced a fly out for the first out then walked the next batter, but bounced back with two swinging strikeouts to end the inning.
Randle walked and stole second to begin the bottom of the sixth. Left fielder Topher Jones grounded out to move Randle to third. With the tying run on third, ASU brought in a lefty.
Decker went down swinging for the second out then the Sun Devils intentionally walked Utermark to set up a lefty-lefty matchup against Furniss, who flew out to end the inning.
Libbert worked a clean seventh inning to keep the deficit at one. With the Rebels running out time to score, Bissetta, Federico and Paino were due up in the bottom of the inning.
Bissetta reached on a hit by pitch then got picked off. Federico walked on the next pitch. Ole Miss would have runners on first and second had Bissetta not been picked off.
Fawley roped a two-out RBI double that nearly left the yard to score Federico and tie the game, 4-4. With a lefty on the mound, Collin Reuter came in pinch hit for Randle, but ASU brought in a right hander to combat the move.
Reuter popped up in foul territory on the first pitch, luckily the Sun Devils could not come up with the catch. With his extra life Reuter walked on a full count. A wild pitch put two runners in scoring position for Jones, but he struck out for the third time.
Decker made the first out of the eighth with a diving grab to his right. Paino followed that up with a slick, off-balance throw for the second out. Federico ended the inning on a line drive right at him.
The Rebels went to the eighth with the top of the order due up, but they did not get a runner on base.
JP Robertson relieved Libbert in the ninth. Libbert has the best outing of his season when it mattered most on Sunday night. He spoke about what worked for him against the Sun Devils.
“A lot of spin, just really getting in the zone was the ultimate goal,” Libbert said. “Just letting the defense work behind me, especially Dom (Decker) and Paino, making two great plays back-to-back, and then just going after hitters and really attacking them.”
Robertson walked the first batter he faced. The runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Paino got the second out with a grounder to his right, keeping the runner at second. Robertson worked out of the jam with another groundout to short.
Ole Miss could not score in the ninth and the game went to extras. Fawley got the first out of the 10th with a good throw on a swinging bunt up the first base line. Robertson struck out the next batter looking. ASU singled with two outs on a single, but Robertson ended the frame with another strikeout.
Reuter walked with one out in the 10th. Luke Romine pinch hit for Brett Moseley, who came in previously as defensive replacement. Goldin pinch ran for Reuter and advanced to second on a passed ball. Romine snuck a single past the shortstop to put runners on the corners.
Decker stepped up to the plate with the opportunity to send Ole Miss to the Super Regionals and hit a sacrifice fly to score Goldin and win the game, 5-4.
“Cannon Goldin’s one of the fastest people in the country, so if I get it anywhere out in the outfield, he’s going to score,” Decker said in a postgame presser. “That was really just the approach, sticking to my process. I had a pretty rough game all round, but I knew I was there for a reason.”
What’s next?
The Rebels will play either Auburn on the road or Milwaukee at home the weekend of Friday, June 5.
