The University of Mississippi Athletics
McAvoy Pitches Ole Miss Past Alabama, 6-2
6/21/1999 | Baseball
April 30, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. - Jeff McAvoy pitched a complete game and struck out eight to lead Ole Miss past Alabama 6-2 in the opening game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday night in front of 2,976.
The Rebels gave McAvoy all the offense he would need with three runs in the first inning. Brad Henderson and Alex Williamson led the game off with back-to-back singles. A batter later Burney Hutchinson hit a RBI single to right field to give Ole Miss a 1-0 lead. Michael Rosamond followed with a RBI ground out to short to score Williamson to make it 2-0. Robert Shelton then hit a two-out single to score Hutchinson and make it 3-0.
Ole Miss, 29-19, 14-8 SEC, added another run in the second on a Hutchinson two-out RBI single to score Williamson.
Alabama, 35-13, 14-8 SEC, scored its run in the third. Brent Boyd started the inning with a double and scored on Sam Bozanich's RBI single to make it 4-1.
McAvoy, 7-3, finished the night allowing the two earned runs on seven hits and four walks.
Alabama starter Manny Torres, 8-2, suffered the loss allowing six runs on 14 hits and three walks.
Hutchinson and Shelton each had three hits as Ole Miss out-hit Alabama 14-7. Hutchinson and Shelton also had two RBI each.
Shelton also hit his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot in the seventh to make it 6-1. The home run was Shelton's sixth of the year.
Andy Phillips and Jeremy Brown led the Tide at the plate with two hits each. Brown also homered in the game, his 13th of the year, with a solo shot in the ninth for the 6-2 margin.
The 14 wins by Ole Miss is the most by a Rebel squad in the 1990s, tying the 1995 team that finished 14-12. With its next conference win, Ole Miss will tie the school record for the most SEC wins in a season with 15, set by the 1971, 1977 and 1982 teams.
Ole Miss and Alabama will go into tomorrow's second game of the series tied for second- place in the SEC Western Division, a game behind first-place Arkansas. Game two of the series is set for 4:00 p.m.
Junior right-hander Dan McShea, 5-1, will start for Ole Miss. Alabama will counter with sophomore left-hander Jonathan Blankenship, 5-2.
Alabama 001 000 101 - 2 7 1Ole Miss 311 000 10x - 6 14 0W- McAvoy (7-3) L- Torres (8-2) T- 2:21 ATT- 2,976
