After splitting the double-header on Saturday Ole Miss baseball took the series against the Dirtbags with a huge 12-1 win on Sunday.
Ole Miss baseball was undefeated heading into the weekend road series with Long Beach State. The Rebels needed a good test on the road and this certainly filled the bill for coach Mike Bianco and the Rebels team. With the Friday night game-one postponed the Rebels would face the Dirtbags in a double-header on Saturday.
Ole Miss would drop game-one in a 3-4 decision as they faced the regular game-two starter. It was a smart move at the time by Long Beach State skipper Troy Buckley to save his game-one ace for game-two. However, it backfired in the second game and Ole Miss picked up the 4-3 game-two win.
With the rubber match on Sunday the series could have gone either way, but the Rebels bats showed up for the 12-1 game-three win and took the series on the road to a perennial college baseball powerhouse. Winning this series was indeed a good test for the Rebels and shows this baseball team is legit. Of course, we’ll break down each game and look at the numbers.
FINAL | Well that was fun!
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 4, 2018
The Rebel bats explode in Game 3 as Ole Miss takes the series at Long Beach State and improves to 10-1 on the season! pic.twitter.com/Kqe0RkiWXM
By The Numbers
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Game 1
Of course, the game which was supposed to be played Friday night was moved to Saturday because of rain. That would mean regular Friday starter sophomore left-hander Ryan Rolison would pitch on an extra day of rest.
Rolison (2-1) went for 6.2 innings on the hill and allowed 3 earned-runs on 8 hits. Rolison had 3 Ks and 2 BB. Sophomore right-hander Will Ethridge entered in relief and went 1.1 innings. Ethridge had 1 K and 1 BB.
Maybe it was jet lag or having an extra day to chill but the Rebels started slow at the plate. Against Dirtbag pitching 4 Rebels combined for 3 runs on 6 hits. Nick Fortes and Cole Zabowski both had 2 for 3 games at the plate.
Tim Elko went 1 for 3 and had a RBI. Anthony Servideo went 1 for 4 at the plate and also had a RBI. However, as a result of poor hitting and aggressive base-running by the Dirtbags, the Rebels fell in game-one 3-4 for their first loss of the 2018 season.
Game 2
The starter for Ole Miss baseball on the mound was red-shirt junior Brady Feigl. Feigl pitched for 7.1 innings. Feigl allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits and had 6 Ks. Dallas Woolfolk entered in the 8th and struggled from what we are used to seeing from Woolfolk. Feigl allowed 1 hit and 3 BB in 6 batters faced. However, Woolfolk managed to get the save, his 5th of the season.
At the plate there were five Rebels who combined for 4 runs on 9 hits. Will Golsan went 3 for 4 at the plate and scored a run. Ryan Olenek got cranked up and went 3 for 5 against the Dirtbags ace Baayoun. Tim Elko went 1 for 3 and added a RBI. Jacob Adams went 1 for 3 and scored a run. Nick Fortes went 1 for 4 and had a RBI and scored a run.
This game could have easily seen the series fall to the Dirtbags. However, the Rebels were able to produce enough at the plate to get the 4-3 win and head into the rubber game with some needed momentum.
Sunday Game 3
On the day 9 Rebels hitters combined for 12 runs on 14 hits and four Rebels went for multiple hits in the contest. Among those were lead-off Grae Kessinger who went 3 for 4 on the day. Kessinger also had 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Cooper Johnson went 2 for 3 with 1 RBI and a run scored. Also having a multiple hit day at the plate was Nick Fortes who went 2 for 5 with a RBI and a run scored. Also in multiple hits was Tyler Keenan who went 2 for 5 and a run scored.
Other Rebels hitters making their mark at the plate was senior Will Golsan and Ryan Olenek who both went 1 for 4 in the game. Both also had 2 RBI and a run scored. Cole Zabowski and Chase Cockrell both went 1 for 2 in the game as DH. Zaobowski had a RBI and scored a run while Cockrell had 2 RBI. Tim Rowe went 1 for 1 in a PH situation.
Of course, junior right-hander James McArthur drew the start on the mound for the Rebels. McArthur went 5.0 innings and allowed no runs on just 2 hits. McArthur had 5 Ks. Sophomore right-hander Greer Holston entered in the 6th and went for 1 inning. Holston allowed just one earned run on 3 hits. Freshman right-hander Max Cioffi entered in the 7th and went for 2 innings of work. Cioffi allowed no hits and had 1 K. Junior right-hander Conner Green finished out the night on the mound in the 9th. Green allowed no runs on 3 hits and had 1 K.
Up Next
Ole Miss baseball will be back in Oxford to take on Austin Peay Tuesday night at Swayze Field. First pitch is set for 6:30pm CT and the game will be televised on SEC Network+. Good luck to coach Mike Bianco and the Rebels. Hotty Toddy!