Ole Miss took on Georgia in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 25. In game one, the Rebels chipped away at an eight-run deficit while the bullpen and a few defensive gems kept them in it. Ole Miss came away with a 10-8 win.
They made another comeback in game two, but the Bulldogs prevailed in a 14-inning marathon, 9-7. Ole Miss went quiet offensively on Sunday and lost, 5-1.
Second baseman Dom Decker’s 3-run go-ahead homer in the eighth and outfielder Hayden Federico’s game-saving diving catch sealed the game one win. First baseman Will Furniss’ 2-run shot in the ninth inning of game two pushed the contest to extras.
Game one
Georgia led off the game with two line drive singles. Hunter Elliott got the first out on a fly ball to left and Decker made a slick back-handed grab to throw a runner out, but the Bulldogs still threatened with two runners in scoring position.
Third baseman Rylan Lujo drove in two runs with a soft liner to left. Elliott got out of the inning with another fly out to left.
Elliott recorded a 1-2-3 third inning on 11 pitches, but his outing derailed from there.
Lujo snuck a double past third baseman Judd Utermark to start the fourth. Elliott hit the next batter to put runners on first and second with no outs. Georgia second baseman Ryan Wynn reached base on a bunt hit after no one covered first.
The Bulldogs looked to blow the game open with the bases loaded and no outs. A single made it 4-0 with a runner on third. Another bunt drove in the fifth run. Elliott plunked a batter to put runners on first and second.
Utermark made a sliding grab and got the force out for the second out. A bloop hit scored the sixth run. Another single scored two to make it 8-0. Head coach Mike Bianco pulled Elliott in favor of Landon Waters.
Elliott had his worst start of the season. He pitched just 3 ⅔ innings, allowed nine hits, gave up eight runs and struck out two.
Decker made a leaping grab out in shallow right field and threw the runner out at first to end the inning.
Furniss, center fielder Hayden Federico and shortstop Owen Paino drew walks to load the bases with one out in the fourth. Catcher Austin Fawley hit a grand slam to cut the deficit to four.
Right fielder Tristan Bissetta made a diving catch to prevent a run and end the top of the sixth. The Rebels still trailed, 8-4.
In the seventh, Decker got Ole Miss within three with a homer that snuck into the Rebel bullpen. In the eighth, Furniss launched a solo homer to straight-away center to make it 8-6. Federico followed it up with a missile that reached the student section to get within one.
Brayden Randle came in to pinch hit and roped a single up the middle to chase reliever Caden Aoki from the game. Justin Byrd came in relief. Fawley struck out, then left fielder Topher Jones singled to put runners on first and second. Brett Moseley came in as a pinch runner for Jones.
Every fan in the stadium was on their feet for Decker’s 3-run homer to put Ole Miss ahead 10-8.
Closer Walker Hooks came in to save the game. The Georgia leadoff got an infield single to begin the ninth. He got a flyout then walked a batter.
With two runners on, Paino attempted to get a force out at second on a hard hit grounder. He was unable to get the out at first because the runner impeded his throw. After reviewing the call, Paino got the force out, but the runner at first was ruled safe at first despite the interference.
Federico made a game-saving diving play in left to secure the win.
Game two
Randle, the shortstop for game two, doubled in the second with two outs, then Fawley put the Rebels ahead with a 2-run blast to left, his second homer and sixth RBI of the day.
Cade Townsend’s first baserunner of the game cameCadeF on a hit by pitch in the third and the next batter hit an infield single to Utermark.
The Bulldogs got on the board with a bloop single to left. Townsend walked the next batter to load the bases. Jones helped him escape the inning with a diving catch on the warning track.
Georgia hit a leadoff double in the fourth. It looked like Townsend was about to escape the jam after two swinging strikeouts, but another Georgia double tied the game, 2-2.
Furniss hit his second homer of the day in the bottom of the fourth to reestablish the lead, 3-2.
The Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead with a two-out, 2-run homer in the fifth. Bianco pulled Townsend out of the game and reliever Wil Libbert came in to pitch.
Libbert gave up a single, a walk and a 3-run homer to make it 7-3. All came with two outs. He allowed two more singles and left the game without recording an out.
Terry Hayes Jr. came and struck out a batter on three pitches to end the nightmare inning.
Utermark doubled with two outs in the fifth after Georgia right fielder overran the ball. Furniss capitalized on the mistake with an RBI single, 7-4.
With two outs in the sixth and a runner on first, JP Robertson came in for Hayes. A single put runners on the corners, but he got the next batter to line out to end the frame.
Randle launched a homer to the student section in the sixth for his third extra-base hit of the game to make it 7-5.
Robertson threw a scoreless seventh to keep the Rebels in it. Utermark got hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the inning. Furniss struck out and Utermark stole second. Federico drew a walk to put two runners on, but Moseley struck out to end the inning.
Robertson gave up a walk to begin the eighth. He got a fielder’s choice and a fly out to put two away with a runner on second, then struck the next batter out swinging to end the threat.
Randle led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk. Collin Reuter, who came into the game to replace Fawley, grounded into a fielder’s choice and reached first.
Jones drew a walk to put two runners on for Decker who lined out for the second out of the inning. Bissetta struck out to end the inning.
Utermark began the ninth for the Rebels and drew a four-pitch walk. Furniss tied the game with a 2-run homer to right.
Hudson Calhoun relieved Robertson in the 10th. Robertson pitched 3 ⅓ innings, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out five. He worked around traffic and kept Ole Miss in the game.
Georgia singled to begin the 10th. Calhoun struck the next batter out, but the runner stole second. The Rebels elected to intentionally walk the next batter to get to pinch hitter Cole Johnson.
Calhoun got Johnson to ground out, then walked the next batter. With two outs and the bases loaded, Calhoun induced a fly out to end the threat.
Reuter worked a walk to start the bottom of the 10th. Georgia brought in sidearm reliever Grant Edwards. Daniel Pacella came in to pinch run for Reuter.
Left fielder Cannon Goldin, who came into the game earlier as a pinch runner, was the first to face Edwards. Golding laid down a bunt and initially beat the throw to first, but was ruled out after review. Decker struck out and Bissetta flew out to end the inning.
Utermark got the first out of the 11th with a nifty grab-and-throw by the line. The next hitter singled to the left side and beat the shift, then Calhoun walked a batter to put two runners on. Calhoun struck out the next two batters to escape another jam.
The Rebels could not scratch anything across in the bottom of the 11th. Calhoun pitched a 1-2-3 12th inning.
Randle reached first off a hit by pitch in the bottom of the 12th and reached second on a pickoff error, but Ole Miss could not get a run in.
Calhoun worked another 1-2-3 inning with two swinging strikeouts and a nice play by Furniss on the line.
Furniss got to second in the 13th, but Ole Miss could not drive him in.
Georgia took the lead with a homer in the 14th. Calhoun plunked the next batter and left the game for Owen Hancock. He walked in a run on a questionable call from the home plate umpire, 9-7. Noah Allen got the final out of the inning.
Ole Miss got the game-winning run to the plate in the 14th, but failed to cash in.
Game three
The Rebel lineup looked dramatically different on Sunday. Utermark got the start in center field, likely due to a Federico injury, Paino moved to third and Jones stayed in left but moved to fifth in the order. Taylor Rabe was on the mound for the Rebels.
Decker walked in the first and stole second to get in scoring position. Bissetta got his first hit of the weekend with a high chopper to second and Decker advanced to third. Utermark drilled a ball up the middle, but the Georgia shortstop made a diving grab for the double play. Still, Decker scored, 1-0.
Georgia tied it up with a two-out double and RBI single in the second. Rabe allowed another single and hit a batter to load the bases, but got a groundout to end the frame.
Back-to-back singles from Paino and Randle put the Rebels in scoring position in the second. Once again, Ole Miss could not bring in any runs.
A solo shot put Georgia up 2-1 in the third. The Bulldogs threatened to add on, but Rabe worked out of a jam.
Hooks came in for Rabe in the seventh after a leadoff double. Rabe pitched six innings, allowed nine hits, gave up three earned runs and struck out six. The offense did not back him up despite his much-needed solid performance.
A sacrifice fly put Georgia up 3-1 in the seventh. The Bulldogs brought in left handed reliever Kenny Ishikawa in the bottom of the seventh. He got Paino out and walked Randle.
A right handed reliever replaced Ishikawa to face Reuter. He struck Reuter out and Federico came in to pinch hit. He grounded out to strand another runner. Paino had a chance to tie the game with the bases loaded in the eighth, but struck out.
A Utermark error led to two more Georgia runs in the ninth, 5-1. Ole Miss went down 1-2-3 in the ninth and lost the series.
What’s next?
Ole Miss Baseball will look to bounce back against Mississippi State in Pearl, Miss., on Tuesday, April 28 at 6 p.m. They will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on Arkansas this weekend. SEC Network+ will broadcast the games.
