Rebels Miss Sweep of Bulldogs with 17-Inning Loss

OXFORD, Miss. It took almost five hours, but after 17 innings of baseball it fell the way of the Bulldogs as No. 18 Ole Miss (30-16, 12-9 SEC) fell to No. 17 Mississippi State (28-12, 10-9 SEC) by a score of 4-1.

Mississippi State pushed three runs across in the 17^th inning to snap a 1-1 tie and avoid the sweep in the weekend series as Ole Miss was unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning.

The 17 inning game tied for the longest in Ole Miss history and was the longest in the series between the two teams. Ole Miss also played a 17 inning game against Arizona on March 3, 2001, a 5-4 win for the Rebels in head coach Mike Bianco’s first season with the Rebels.

Scott Bittle (2-5) suffered the loss after entering the game in the 17th inning as he gave up three runs on five hits with a strikeout. Starter Nathan Baker worked 7.0 innings as he allowed only one run on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Cody Satterwhite, who entered in relief in the seventh, worked 9.0 scoreless innings of relief as he allowed only three hits with two walks and four strikeouts before Bittle replaced him to open the final inning.

Mitch Moreland (3-0) picked up the win in relief as he worked 4.0 scoreless innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Josh Johnson drew the start for the Bulldogs, working 6.0 innings as he gave up one run on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Aaron Weatherford worked 7.0 innings in relief as he gave up only five hits while walking three and striking out two.

The Rebels had the chances to take the game, but were unable to capitalize as Ole Miss hit into three inning ending double plays and stranded 13 batters. The Bulldogs left 11 batters on base for the game.

“This is just an example of one of those great college games,” Bianco said. “Nathan Baker and Cody Satterwhite both pitched extremely well and we had our opportunities to score. We just couldn’t get the timely hit. Eventually, someone had to score.”

Mississippi State got on the board in the first as Jeffrey Rea scored from third on a groundout to first. Rea singled to right field and moved to second on a fielding error in right. He then advanced on a groundout to second before scoring on the groundout from Easley.

The Rebels got on the board in the fifth when Evan Button scored on a single to shallow left center from C.J. Ketchum. Button singled up the middle before moving to second on a balk.

Ole Miss loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Mississippi State was able to get out of the inning and keep the Rebels off the board with a force out at home on a grounder from Cozart before a groundout to short from Overbeck ended the inning.

Mississippi State broke the tie in the top of the 17^th when Jet Butler chopped a single down the first base line to score LaNinfa from third. Another chop single to third loaded the bases with one out and the top of the order at the plate. Rea flew out to left before a single up the middle from Nick Hardy pushed two more runs across and gave the Bulldogs a 4-1 lead.

Ole Miss was unable to get a runner across in the bottom of the inning as Mississippi State avoided the sweep with the win.

Ole Miss will conclude its non-conference schedule when the Rebels return to action against the Memphis Tigers on Wednesday. First-pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. as the two teams will square off at Autozone Park in Memphis.

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Rebels Miss Sweep of Bulldogs with 17-Inning Loss

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