Coach Mike Bianco and Ole Miss baseball picked up their first SEC series of the 2019 season Sunday with a second win over Bama.
No.8 Ole Miss baseball (14-6, 2-1) was back in action Sunday as they were looking for a SEC opening series against Alabama (17-4, 1-2). The Rebels picked up the 1-0 shut out in the Friday opener but lost the Saturday matchup 6-8 to the Tide. The Rebels entered the SEC opening series coming off a midweek sweep by Louisville and were hunting a big SEC weekend.
Sundays game-three win saw the Rebels get on the board first with 7 runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Rebels added 5 more runs in the bottom of the fifth to make the lead 12-0 heading into the top of the sixth when Bama scored twice to cut the Rebels lead to 12-2. The Rebels picked up 12-2 win and the series over the Tide. OHT looks at the three-game SEC series by the numbers.
Game 1, 1-0 W
Ole Miss Rebels
In the SEC opening shutout win there were 5 Rebels who combined for 6 hits. Leading all Rebels at the plate was junior Cole Zabowski who went 2 for 3 with 1 HR. Senior Jacob Adams, junior Cooper Johnson and sophomore Anthony Servideo all went 1 for 3 while junior Grae Kessinger went 1 for 4 at the plate.
On the mound junior right-hander Will Ethridge drew the start for the Rebels. Ethridge went for 6.0 innings allowing 0 earned runs on just 3 hits with 9 Ks and 4 BB. Junior right-hander Austin Miller entered in the seventh and went for 1.1 innings allowing no hits. Miller had 2 Ks.
Red-shirt junior Parker Caracci entered in the eighth and finished out the close. Caracci went for 1.2 innings allowing just 1 hit with 3 Ks. Caracci picked up his 3rd save of the season while Ethridge (4-0) picked up his fourth win of the year.
Game 2, 6-8 L
In the 6-8 game-two loss there were 4 Rebels who combined for 6 hits with 2 Rebels recording multiple hit games. Leading all Rebels at the plate was sophomore Anthony Servideo who went 2 for 3 with 1 RBI. Junior Grae Kessinger followed going 2 for 5 with 1 RBI. Senior Ryan Olenek and junior Cooper Johnson each went 1 for 4 at the plate with Olenek getting 1 RBI.
On the hill junior left-hander Zack Phillips drew the game-two start for Mike Bianco and the Rebels. Phillips went for 1.2 innings allowing 2 un1 hit with 1 K and 4 BB. Junior right-hander Taylor Broadway entered in the second going for 1.1 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits with 2 Ks. Senior right-hander Connor Green entered in the fourth and went for 1.1 innings allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits with 2 BB.
Bianco went to the bullpen again in the fifth and sophomore right-hander Max Cioffi took the hill. Cioffi went for 1.1 innings allowing no hits with 3 Ks and 1 BB. Next on the hill was freshman left-hander Doug Nikhazy who went for 1.0 inning allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits. Nikhazy had 2 Ks and 1 BB. Senior Ryan Olenek was next up going for 1.0 inning allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with 2 Ks and 1 BB. Junior right-hander Tyler Myers finished out the game going 1.0 inning and allowing no hits.
Game 3, 12-2 W
In the game-three series clincher on Sunday there were 8 Rebels who combined for 10 hits at the plate. Leading all Rebels was junior Grae Kessinger who went 3 for 4 with 5 RBI in the game. Senior Jacob Adams went 1 for 2 at the plate with 1 RBI. Senior Ryan Olenek and junior Cooper Johnson each went 1 for 3 at the plate with Johnson recording 2 RBI.
Sophomores Tyler Keenan and Anthony Servideo and junior Thomas Dillard all went 1 for 4 with Dillard and Servideo each registering 1 RBI while Keenan had 2 RBI. Sophomore Tim Elko also went 1 for 4 in the game.
On the mound freshman right-hander Gunnar Hoglund drew the Sunday start. Hoglund went for 5.0 innings allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with 8 Ks and 2 BB. Junior right-hander Austin Miller entered in the sixth and went for 2.1 innings allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with 5 Ks and 1 BB. Junior right-hander Houston Roth finished out the game going for 1.2 innings allowing 0 runs on just 1 hit with 1 K.
Coach Mike Bianco and Ole Miss baseball will be back in action Tuesday night as they face Arkansas Pine-Bluff in game-one of a two game midweek series. First pitch is set for 6:30pm CT and the game can be seen on SECN+. Good luck to the Rebels. Hotty Toddy!