Game 1
Coming off of a big series win over 13th-ranked Maryland, the defending national champions played host to a gritty Louisiana Tech team in the midweek. The Bulldogs were favored to take home the C-USA conference title coming into this year — quite the expectations considering some of the other teams in their league.
The Rebels were at it early in Game 1 with transfer outfielder Ethan Groff tripling in shortstop Jacob Gonzalez to take a one-nothing lead in the first. Ole Miss would go on to score a run each inning in the first four stanzas, building a four-zip lead entering the fifth. The Rebel offense and true freshman starter JT Quinn were on cruise control, it seemed.
Then came the Bulldog-half of the fifth, which saw Tech take the lead with two swings of the bat. A two-RBI double and a three-run shot led to Louisiana Tech’s first lead of the game, five to four. Despite giving up only two hits on the day and striking out seven, Quinn would get the no-decision for the day.
The Rebels would strike back in the sixth, however, with a TJ McCants RBI-single scoring Calvin Harris to knot it up at five. But, it would be later undone as the Bulldogs would get the winning run the following half-inning that saw them take game one of two and put the pressure on Ole Miss to split on Wednesday.
The Rebels out-hit the Bulldogs 13-8, but left just as many on base which would end up being the decisive factor.
Game 2
Due to the forecasted (and what proved to be crucially important) rain for Wednesday, Game 2was bumped up to a 3 p.m. start. Yet again, the Rebels trotted out another freshman arm: right-hander Jordan Vera. His collegiate debut wouldn’t be an easy one as the Bulldogs are a stingy bunch at the plate with elite plate discipline.
Vera would toss up two zeroes in the first two innings before giving up a solo shot in the third that saw Tech take an early lead. After a flyout and a walk in the fourth, Vera’s day would be done and Sam Tookoian would take over. The Bulldogs would add to their lead with another homer, a two-run shot that put them up three and Ole Miss in an early hole.
In the Rebel-half of the fourth, Ole Miss would respond with three runs of their own to tie it up. A solo shot by Kemp Alderman and a two-RBI single by senior Peyton Chatagnier put each team at three apiece before the Rebels took the lead in the fifth courtesy of a solo bomb by Ethan Groff.
Remember the aforementioned rain? Yeah, that rain. At the top of the seventh, Louisiana Tech had taken a five to four lead. Then came the rain and ultimately what delayed the game, lightning. Since the top half of the seventh was ongoing when the delay began, the runs were not recognized as the inning was not completed. Therefore, the Rebels technically had the lead, four to three. The contest would eventually be called off and Ole Miss would salvage the series split in a controversial way.
Despite technically getting the victory, the Rebels were given an early wake-up call before heading to the Cambria College Classic in Minneapolis this weekend.
