OXFORD — Sam Smith and the Ole Miss Rebels just couldn’t execute in game two of the series against William & Mary. The Tribe evens the series with the final score of 8-1.
Sam Smith started game two of the series for the Rebels. The senior right hander worked 3.1 innings on the mound, allowed four hits, four earned runs, three walks, and picked up one strike out. Matt Denny would come on to relieve Smith in the middle of the top of the fourth, but Denny’s appearance was short lived after allowing three walks and three unearned runs through three batters.
Like game one, William & Mary would once again be the first to get on the board in game two. In the top of the second inning, The Tribe would get a runner home on a base hit to right field. They would threaten to tag on more runs with the bases loaded and one out. But with a pair of infield outs, Smith was able to get the Rebels out of a jam.
Ole Miss would answer in the bottom of the inning after sophomore center Henri Lartigue led things off with a double. Lartigue would be able to advance to third, and two plays later senior catcher Austin Knight grounded out to third; Lartigue was able to advance home on the play to tie the game.
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Things started to get rough for the Rebels in the top of the fourth. William & Mary started things off with a pair of singles, prior to capitalizing a three run home run over the right field wall, regaining the lead, 4-1. Denny would come into relieve Smith at this point.
Denny would load the bases and would allow another Tribe runner to score after the walk, extending the lead to 5-1. Junior right hander Jacob Waguespack would then take over the mound for the Rebels with the bases loaded. William & Mary was able to add on two more runs before the Rebels were able to end the damage.
The Rebels tried to answer in the bottom of the inning, after Lartigue started things off with his second double of the game. Freshman second baseman Tate Blackman was hit-by-a-pitch in the next at bat for Ole Miss, setting runners up at first and second. Knight would ground to third on the next play, advancing Latrigue to third and Blackman to second. Junior outfielder Connor Cloyd lined into second base for a double play to end the Rebels’ threat.
The Tribe would add to the bleeding in the top of sixth, after a runner reached first on a fielding error, a sacrifice bunt on the next play advanced the runner to second, and a double down the left field line brought an unearned run home from second. William & Mary extended their lead to 8-1 to end the top half of the inning.
Once again Ole Miss looked to rally back in the bottom of the seventh inning. Things started off with Knight advancing to first after a HBP. Cloyd would strike out at the next at bat for the Rebels, creating out number one. Junior right fielder Cameron Dishon would haul in an infield single, advancing Knight to second. Sophomore center fielder J.B. Woodman would then pick up a walk, loading the bases with one out. However, sophomore shortstop Errol Robinson grounded out to second base for a double play to end another Rebel threat.
Sophomore right hander Nick Brown picks up the win for William & Mary after working 6.1 innings, allowing one earned run off five hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. Junior right hander Jacob Waguespack was stellar in his 5.0 innings of work, allowing only one unearned run off one hit, one walk, and hauled in a pair of strike outs. Smith would suffer the loss for Ole Miss.
Ole Miss will be set to play William & Mary later today in game two of a double header, as an inclement weather forecast for Sunday caused game three of the series to be pushed back to Saturday. Ole Miss is projected to start Sophomore right hander Brady Bramlett in game three. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and on our website for all of game three’s action.