The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Alabama
Rebels Down Alabama 5-4 To Take Series Opener
5/15/2010 | Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Brett Huber held the Crimson Tide hitless over the final two innings of play and struck out three batters to pick up his 10th save of the season as No. 14 Ole Miss (36-15, 16-9 SEC) defeated Alabama (29-21, 10-15 SEC) 5-4 on Friday night.
Huber entered the game to start the eighth inning with the Rebels leading by one run and worked the final 2.0 innings, striking out three batters and allowing only one base runner on a fielding error to save the game. It was his ninth save in SEC play this season and second of the week.
Drew Pomeranz (7-1) picked up the win as he worked 5.0 innings and allowed one run on one hit with seven walks and nine strikeouts in his time on the mound.
Adam Morgan (5-4) suffered the loss for the Crimson Tide as he allowed four runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work.
The Rebels managed 10 hits on the night, while holding Alabama to five hits and allowed only two earned runs while striking out 14 batters as a staff.
"Overall it was a pretty good game for us on a Friday night," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "It was a tough night for Drew, but despite the walks he still struck out nine and continued to battle on the mound. Brett Huber handled the pressure really well at the end.
"We kind of showed a little of who we are tonight. We didn't play real clean at the end, but we held it together, recovered and were still able to go out there and get the win."
Ole Miss jumped out to an early start, scoring two runs in the first inning on a double from Tim Ferguson and a sac fly from Zach Miller. Kevin Mort drew a walk before taking second on a single up the middle from Matt Smith. The Ferguson double drove in Mort and moved Smith to third before he scored on the Miller fly out to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead.
Ferguson then added to the Rebel lead in the third, hitting a two-run shot to left field that scored Smith. Smith doubled in the previous at bat to set up the shot from Ferguson and send Alabama to the bullpen for Jason Townsend. Ole Miss then loaded the bases before Miles Hamblin drove in a fifth run with a sac fly to center field that scored Alex Yarbrough and put the Rebels up 5-0.
Alabama responded in the fourth, loading the bases with a pair of walks sandwiched around a hit batter with two outs on the board. Taylor Dugas then drew a walk to push a run across and break up the shutout. Pomeranz then got a fly out to end the inning with the Rebels holding to a 5-1 lead.
The Crimson Tide continued to cut into the lead with a rally in the seventh inning. A double from Josh Rutledge opened the inning before a one-out single from Clay Jones put runners at the corners and Ole Miss turned to the bullpen for Eric Callender. Jake Smith then hit a sac fly to center field to drive in a run and cut the lead to 5-2. David Kindred then reached on a throwing error on a grounder to second before a double to right field from Cody Trotter drove in two more runs to cut the lead to 5-4.
Ole Miss got out of the inning as Trotter was thrown out at third trying to stretch the double into a triple.
Ole Miss and Alabama will play the second game of the series at 3 p.m. on Saturday in a contest televised by ESPN2.
