The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Florida
Rebels Outlast Florida 15-12
3/13/2000 | Baseball
March 11, 2000
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Craig Nugen and Chad Hill both had three-run home runs as Ole Miss jumped out to a 10-1 lead after two innings and held off the Florida Gators for a 15-12 victory Saturday evening in game two of the three- game series.
The victory was the Rebels' sixth straight over the Gators, and their 19th win in their last 26 games against the SEC Eastern Division dating back to 1998. Ole Miss won the series-opener 11-5 on Friday night.
The Rebels (12-5, 2-0) sent 10 batters to the plate during a five-run first inning, capped by Nugen's three-run blast, to chase Florida starter Jay Belflower.
Belflower (2-2) was charged with the loss after being tagged for five runs, four earned, on five hits in 2/3 of an inning.
The Rebels plated five more runs in the second, with all them coming with two outs in the inning. Following a walk to Carl Lafferty, Ole Miss strung together four consecutive hits. Banks Robinson had a two-run single and Hill followed with his three-run blast to put the Rebels up 10-1.
Florida (11-11, 0-2) failed to capitalize on five walks issued by Ole Miss starter Nathan Lyons in 2 1/3 innings of work.. Lyons walked four in the first inning, including the first three batters he faced. However, the Gators were able to come away with just one run as Lyons got Tim Olson to hit into a double play and struck out Ryan Shealy a batter later to end the inning.
Lyons was lifted in the third after Tim Olson belted a three-run home run to pull Florida within 10-4. Lyons allowed four runs on two hits and five walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Glen Morris (1-0) came on in relief and allowed one run in three innings of relief to earn the win.
Trailing 15-8, the Gators scored four runs in the ninth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Peter Nystrom, his second homer of the night, and a solo shot by Matt Goss.
Justin Huisman, the last of five Rebel pitchers, recorded the final out of the game to earn his fourth save of the season.
Nystrom who finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs also had a solo home run in the sixth to make the score 11-5. Olson also had a three hits and drove in four runs for the Gators.
Huisman also went 3-for-5 along with Jude Voltz to pace the Rebels' 18-hit attack.
The Rebels will aim for their first three-game sweep of a SEC opponent on the road since 1986 Sunday at 12:30 p.m. when the two teams conclude the weekend series. Senior right-hander Joey Cramblitt (3-1, 2.22 ERA) is scheduled to start for Ole Miss against Florida's junior right-hander Jeff Cardozo (1-0, 4.72 ERA).
Ole Miss 550 030 002 - 15 18 1Florida 103 001 304 - 12 12 3W- Morris (1-0) L- Belflower (2-2) Sv.- Huisman (4)HR- Nugen (3), Hill (1), Olson (3), Nystrom 2 (3), Goss (2)T- 3:23 ATT- 1,643
