The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Louisiana-Monroe
Rebels Fall To ULM 6-5 On Opening Day
2/20/2010 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. - Relief pitching proved to be a deciding factor on opening day in Oxford on Friday as relief pitchers took the decisions for both teams on Friday with the Ole Miss (0-1) falling to Louisiana-Monroe (1-0) by a score of 6-5.
It was the first season-opening loss for the Rebels since the 1981 season when Ole Miss fell to Livingston by a score of 8-6.
Rory McKean (0-1) suffered the loss in relief as he allowed four runs on four hits with a walk in 0.1 innings of work. McKean entered the game to open the fifth to relieve starter Drew Pomeranz who turned in 4.0 innings of work and allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Stefan Comeaux (1-0) picked up the win for the Warhawks in relief of starter Drew Garnier, who turned in 4.1 innings of work. Comeaux allowed one run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in 1.1 innings of work. Garnier allowed four runs on five hits with a walk in five strikeouts in his first start for Louisiana-Monroe.
Matt Tracy and Brett Huber were solid in relief for the Rebels from there, however, holding the Warhawks scoreless over the final 4.2 innings as the pair combined to allow only two hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
"I didn't think we played that poorly," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "Matt Tracy played very well. He was good on the mound and didn't walk anybody. They got Pomeranz out in the fourth inning. Their guy was only at forty-eight pitches at that point. He pitched well. They didn't give us any opportunities so we had to earn them. There were some tough at bats where we made some errors and had some walks. The difference was we gave them that big inning and we didn't get one back."
Louisiana-Monroe scored in the top of the first, plating a run on a fielding error at third base with the bases loaded and two outs. A leadoff single from Boomer Blanchard opened the game before Pomeranz struck out Jordy Poche. Nick Wade then walked to put two men on base. Pomeranz struck out Matt Laird for the second out, but a catcher's interference call with Josh Chappell at the plate loaded the bases.
A fielding error at third on a ground ball from Perry Smith plated the first run for the Warhawks. Kelvin York then grounded out to the pitcher to get the Rebels out of the inning down 1-0.
Ole Miss answered in the second inning when David Phillips came up with a two-out double and then scored on a single from Tanner Mathis to even things at one.
The Warhawks rallied in the third to push back on top 2-1 with a single run off a triple from Laird that scored Poche from first. Poche reached on a lead-off single.
Kevin Mort knotted things at two in the bottom half of the frame, scoring when Zach Miller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs. Mort opened the Rebel half of the inning with a single and took second when Miles Hamblin drew a walk. Both runners advanced when Matt Smith was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before Mort scored on the Miller RBI.
Louisiana-Monroe then used a lead-off walk to put Laird on before McKean would get Chappell to ground out. The Warhawks then used four straight hits - including a double and a triple - to put together a four run inning that gave the visitors a 6-2 lead.
Matt Smith belted out a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the score to 6-4 before Phillips hit a solo shot in the sixth to cut the lead to one at 6-5. Ole Miss would get no closer, however, as the Rebels were unable to come up with a final rally down the stretch.
The two teams will face-off again in the second game of the series at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
