Ole Miss Baseball won its rivalry series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs after being shutout in game one. The series was held from Friday, April 12, to Sunday, April 14, and it is the first time Ole Miss has won a home series versus the Bulldogs since 2015.
Going into this series, it looked as if the Rebels would continue their struggles, as the Bulldogs were ranked as the No. 22 team in the country. After the first game, many fans lost hope for the series when the team did not score a single run.
Things shifted, however, when the Rebels won the next two games thanks to some stout offensive production. This series had it all, from a blowout loss to a blowout win and a walkoff single to win the middle game in extra innings. This series was a case study into what a rivalry series should look like.
Game one (lost 8-0)
There was nothing really good to say about the first game, as the Rebels were blown completely out of the water. Ole Miss was held to three hits throughout the entire game while MSU loaded the hit column.
The Bulldogs amassed eight hits, all of those converting into points. The starting pitcher for the Rebels was Riley Maddox, who made it through five innings, allowing five hits and striking out two batters. The Rebels cycled through four pitchers to Mississippi State’s two.
The Bulldogs starter, Khal Stephen, made it through eight innings in a very impressive showing, allowing the Rebels three hits and striking out nine batters.
It was a struggle at the plate for Ole Miss, with everyone but infielder Brayden Randle striking out at least once. Both teams committed one error. As a whole, the Rebels struck out 11 times to the Bulldogs’ seven.
Game two (won 10-9)
In a surprising turn of fortune, the Rebels pulled out the win in game two after some late game dramatics. This game was a tense one to watch, as it went to 12 total innings. The Rebels walked it off, with infielder Jackson Ross hitting a single to drive in the game-winning run. In this one, both teams cycled through their fair share of pitchers, each going through six pitchers.
The Rebels starter on the mound was Liam Doyle, who made it through four innings and struck out nine batters. Doyle had a great day, as he also only allowed four hits. The only downside to his performance, though, was that he had a bit of a walk problem, so he was pulled in the fifth inning.
The other pitcher of note for the Rebels was Connor Spencer, who made it through three innings with three strikeouts.
Despite the high scoring game, the Rebels only hit one home run, so a lot of their production came from hits and base running. They were consistently getting on base with 14 hits total, allowing Ole Miss to score many runs and put themselves in contention to win the series.
Game three (won 14-2)
Game three was the complete opposite of game one, with the Rebels blowing out the Bulldogs and handily winning the series.
It was an outstanding afternoon of baseball for Ole Miss fans. Mason Nichols got the start on the mound, pitching six innings with four strikeouts. Gunnar Dennis came in to close the game and seal the series win for the Rebels.
Dennis also had two strikeouts, making the total number of strikeouts six. On the plate, the Rebels played excellently as well, putting the bow on a great all-around game. Infielder Ethan Lege had two home runs and infielder Will Furniss also hit a homer.
The Rebels took advantage of the Bulldogs weak day-three pitching and controlled the game from the very beginning. Both teams had one error, the one bad part of this game for the Rebels.
What’s next?
With momentum behind them, the Rebels will head to Jonesboro, Ark., to play Arkansas State on Tuesday, April 16.
