The rivalry between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is one of the most storied in SEC history, and that animosity is not left at the diamond.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State, the former being the reigning national champions and the latter holding the title before Ole Miss, faced off Feb. 14-16, with both teams behind the eight ball compared to how they had hoped this season would go.
The Rebels played at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss. The matchup was scoreless until the third inning. Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez hammered a home run over center, putting Ole Miss up 1-0.
A scoreless fourth later, the Bulldogs slugged a home run of their own, tying the score by the end of the fifth.
Neither team scored for two more innings. Ole Miss outfielder Kemp Alderman ended the silence with a home run in the eighth. Calvin Harris, another Rebel outfielder, hit a clutch single, scoring outfielder T.J. McCants, putting the Rebels in a 3-1 lead..
Mississippi State scored another home run to close the game, but this was too little too late for the boys from Starkville. Ole Miss prevailed, beating Mississippi State 3-2.
The Rebels returned for the second game, ready to march again onto Dudy Noble and disappoint the cowbell-carrying, maroon-wearing Bulldog faithfuls.
Scoring commenced at the top of the second, as infielder Will Furniss won a single
The second inning closed with a double and a run by Mississippi State, tying the game at 2-2.
A scoreless third and fourth flew by before Calarco again scored for the Rebels on a solo home run to left field. The sixth inning began with the score showing a Rebel advantage, 3-2, before an all-too-familiar single from outfielder Ethan Groff scored McCants.
Groff scored shortly after, thanks to a Gonzalez double. The Bulldogs took the field for the bottom of the sixth inning, down 5-2, before back-to-back home runs made it a 5-4 ballgame.
Set up by a double, the Bulldogs scored a two-run home run, giving them their first lead of the game, 6-5, to close the seventh inning. No runs in the eighth set up a dramatic ninth inning, where Gonzalez doubled to score Groff, before being run in by a Calarco single.
Ole Miss held strong at 7-6. Thanks to a clutch single by State, however, the Bulldogs prevailed, scoring two in the bottom of the ninth inning to walk it off and even the series 1-1.
The series was tied on Sunday, and both teams were amped up for a game that may not impact any national standings–but it certainly matters to sports fans in Mississippi.
Neither team scored in the first two innings, despite a double from Ethan Lege in the first. A grand slam from Mississippi State in the bottom of the third inning made the score 3-0 in favor of the Bulldogs.
The fourth and fifth innings were scoreless, before Calarco hit for a much-needed run, putting the Rebels on the board in the sixth. The seventh inning came, and with it, a scoring barrage, as infielder Peyton Chatagnier scored and Alderman drove in a single to tie the game 3-3.
The bottom of the seventh inning dashed the momentum of its top, as Mississippi State hit a home run with two on base, putting them up 5-3. No scores were to be had in the eighth, and Ole Miss dropped the series two games to one.
Although the season is not yet lost, the Rebels are in low spirits leaving Starkville.
Games are yet to be played, and wins are yet to be had, but the loss to Mississippi State was nonetheless disappointing.
