Thursday showed that Ole Miss is officially over the Mississippi State hangover.
Instead of folding after the "embarrassing" loss at Swayze, the Rebels took the opening pitch in Gainesville and never looked back. They came out with a 6-4 win over Florida to start the series.
Just this time, the Rebels had all the answers for everything Florida threw at them.
Taylor Rabe came and delivered
This time, Bianco nailed the rotation by moving Taylor Rabe into the first game role and slotting Hunter Elliott and Cade Townsend into second and third game positions. Even after some missed opportunities, Ole Miss swung just enough heavy lumber to slam the door on any late-inning drama.
“I thought we were really good on the mound," Bainco said post-game. "Just a really good approach (at the plate). Really proud of the guys. A lot of good swings out there.”
Rabe flawlessly executed the job Bianco wanted: not letting Florida settle in. The right-hander worked into the fifth inning, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out six.
As feared, former Rebel player Ethan Surowiec proved why he was the piece Ole Miss can't replace with a two-run shot breaking up Rabe’s bid for a shutout in the fifth and chasing him from the hill.
The Rebels' bullpen took it from there, and they did not disappoint.
"Bullpen pitched really well, and offense kept fighting," Rabe said. "A lot of different guys are asked to do a lot of different things right now. No matter we're asked to do, we're trying to step up."
"Proud of those guys, and it's been a tough several weeks. Tonight against one of the best pitchers in the league we did it up and down the lineup," Bainco added.
Fans would be waiting with crossed fingers for Rabe to continue his momentum when they take on Florida next on Friday night. It might be the only way to calm down the otherwise furious Ole Miss fans after the Mississippi State series loss.