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Ole Miss Baseball: Rebels Drop Game 2 At No.23 Auburn

By Daniel Skipper

May 6, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball on the field prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a baseball on the field prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ole Miss baseball found itself hoping to swing Fridays game and even the series. However, the Rebels fell short against more great pitching and lost a 9-1 decision to the No.23 Auburn Tigers.

Playing ‘Down on the Plains’ is never easy and this series has proven to be no exception for Ole Miss baseball. What many will tout as great pitching, and they are really good, has been made to look better due to poor offense from the Rebels. Once again, lack of offensive production has cost the Rebels at least a SEC series. However, the Ole Miss pitching staff took a beating as well, so the offense didn’t get much help from the rubber.

Right now the Rebels (31-24, 13-16) are down 2 games in this series and will face the No.23 Tigers today in hopes of avoiding the sweep. It will be the final game of the 2017 regular season with the SEC Tourney dead ahead. Can they bounce back from a 3 game losing streak to salvage at least one game in the Auburn series? We find out later today. For now, lets look at game 2 by the numbers.

On The Hill

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It was a pretty rough night for the Ole Miss pitching staff. In total Rebel pitchers would give up 9 earned runs on 13 hits while 3 Tiger batters. They did chalk up 9 Ks on the evening.

Regular game 2 starter Ryan Rolison took the hill first for the Rebels. Rolison (6-3, 2.48) put in 3.2 innings of duty on the rubber giving up 5 earned runs on 7 hits while walking 2 Tigers and recording 3 Ks.

Skipper Mike Bianco made the call in the 4th and Greer Holston entered the game. Holston (2-3, 4.70) went 1.0 innings and allowed 4 earned runs on 5 hits while walking 1 and recording 1 K.

Conner Green finished out the night for the Rebels and was lights out. Green allowed no runs and only 1 hit in 3.1 innings of effort. Green had 5 Ks and no walks.

Rebel pitching has been what Mike Bianco has always hung his hat on. This season there have been very few occasions where pitching has struggled. However, this has been a fairly lackluster year for Ole Miss offensive production.

At The Plate

Although 7 Rebels tallied hits on the night, they all had 1 fors. In total they produced only 7 hits against a pretty good Tiger pitching staff. Despite a 1 for 4 night at the plate, Tate Blackman (.295) led all Rebel hitters by producing the game’s only RBI. Cooper Johnson (.200) went 1 for 3 and scored the lone run.

Tim Rowe (.261) and Brian Seamster (.189) also went 1 for 3 on the night, while Nick Fortes (.310) went 1 for 4. Also getting in the mix for the Rebels at the plate was Chase Cockrell (.227) and DJ Miller who both took advantage of pinch situations to both go 1 for 1.

Game 3 Do Or Die?

As SEC Network Baseball Analyst Gabe Gross said, “Ole Miss is in panic button mode.” With today as the final game of the season and postseason play beyond the tourney a distant hope, Ole Miss has to win. Period. If they don’t win today then they have to make the finals of the SEC Tourney. It all comes down to the wire today at 1pm CT. The game can be seen on SECN+. Come on Rebel baseball.

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