The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Oakland
Rebels Clinch Series With 10-2 Win Over Oakland
2/27/2010 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. - Michael Snyder and Zach Miller both hit home runs to help pace the Rebel offense, while a pair of Rebel pitchers again combined for a dominant performance, to help No. 17 Ole Miss (5-1) pick up a 10-2 win over Oakland (0-2) on Saturday.
The win clinched the series for the Rebels, who will go for the series sweep tomorrow at noon at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
Miller hit his first home run of the season and drove in four runs, while Snyder came up with his first home run of the season in the Rebel win. Matt Smith was 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI, while Matt Snyder was 1-for-2 with two walks.
Aaron Barrett (2-0) picked up the win as he worked 6.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Eric Callender then picked up his second save of the season as he worked the final 3.0 innings and limited the Grizzlies to one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
The duo picked up where they left off last weekend as Barrett and Callender combined for a shutout of Louisiana-Monroe a week ago.
"It was another big game for us today," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "Offensively we were very efficient. We had hi sin 6 of the 8 innings. Aaron Barrett had tremendous stuff. He attacked the zone and had solid defense on a couple of plays. Eric Callender had two great pick-offs. The pitching staff has been working very hard to do little things like that that help you win games."
Ole Miss got the first run of the game in the second inning when Matt Snyder scored on a groundout from Taylor Hightower. Snyder walked to open the inning and moved to second on a walk of David Phillips. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Hightower pushed Snyder across the plate to put the Rebels on the board.
Tim Ferguson and Tanner Mathis came up with back-to-back doubles in the third to start another rally. Ferguson scored on the Mathis double before a throwing error on a grounder to short from Matt Smith allowed Mathis to score. Smith took second on the throwing error before moving to third on a single from Matt Snyder. Smith then scored on a grounder to second from Miller to give the Rebels a 4-0 lead.
Oakland answered with a run in the top of the fourth, scoring a single run when Tim Ryan crossed the plate on a single from John Estes. Ryan walked to open the inning and stole second. He moved to third on a single from Tommy Jablonski, then scored on the Estes hit to cut the lead to 4-1.
Mike Snyder then hit his solo shot in the fourth inning to push the lead back out to four runs.
Ole Miss added two more runs in the fifth when Matt Smith - who walked to open the inning - scored on a two-run home run from Miller to extend the lead to 7-1.
The Rebels then added a pair of runs on back-to-back sac flies from Miller and Phillips, moving out to a 9-1 advantage. The first sac fly from Miller came on a shot to right with the bases loaded after Mathis was hit by a pitch, Smith singled and Matt Snyder drew a walk. Phillips then hit his sac fly to right field to score Smith and cap the Rebel rally.
Oakland scored its second run in the eighth when Mike Carson scored from second on an Aaron Wick single. Carson doubled to open the inning.
Ole Miss scored the final run in the bottom half of the inning when a pinch-hitting Alex Yarbrough scored on a Smith single. Yarbrough walked then took second on a single from pinch-hitter Cliff Vaughn before scoring on the Smith hit.
