The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
33-10, 11-8
LSU
25-18, 9-10
Sixth-Inning Explosion Propels No. 5 Ole Miss Past LSU
4/26/2018 | Baseball
By Davis McCool, Ole MissSports.com
OXFORD, Miss. -- The biggest inning of the Mike Bianco Era, an explosive 11-run sixth frame, propelled No. 5 Ole Miss baseball past LSU, 14-3, Thursday night.
The Rebels recorded fifteen hits on the day en route to their largest win over LSU since 2011 in Baton Rouge. The 11-run sixth was the most Ole Miss has scored in a single inning since March 17, 1999 against Morehead State when the Rebels plated 13 in the second.
Tied at 3-3 entering the sixth inning, the Rebels and starter Ryan Rolison were locked in a pitcher's duel with LSU's Zack Hess, who, along with Rolison, nears the top of the SEC in total strikeouts. Any semblance of a close ballgame went with the sixth inning, however, that saw the Rebels send 16 batters to the plate, eleven runs across it on six hits, seven walks or hit-by-pitches, and two wild pitches. Three Rebels even earned free passes from third to home in the frame, scoring on bases loaded walks.
Tim Rowe continued his electric week in the absence of Ryan Olenek, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, his third, fourth, and fifth in the past two games, respectively, after a pair in the midweek game against Mississippi State. The Rebel right fielder upped his batting average to .389 on the year while Ole Miss awaits the return of Olenek.
Ryan Rolison picked up his sixth win of the year, going 7.0 innings giving up just three runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out five Tigers on the day. Max Cioffi came in for the final two innings, striking out two without allowing a run as the Rebels' eleven spot in the sixth had ensured smooth sailing for the freshman reliever.
The first half of the ballgame featured a back-and-forth affair. Ole Miss got the scoring started first with a pair of singles in the first from the bats of Nick Fortes and Cole Zabowski to take an early 1-0 lead. LSU countered with runs in the second and third to take a one-run lead, but the Rebels answered with a pair of their own one-run innings in the fourth and fifth.
All but two batters saw the plate twice, and seven different Rebels recorded a hit in the inning. The slugfest began with a Tyler Keenan single, followed quickly by another from Chase Cockrell and an RBI double from Rowe, his third of the day. A swinging bunt single by Grae Kessinger and a bunt single by Jacob Adams loaded the bases before a Nick Fortes single plated two and took away the full bases. Will Golsan got in on the action, singling for two of his three RBI on the day, while the remaining runs came home on either bases-loaded walks or wild pitches.
Ole Miss will go for the series win tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. CT behind the arm of redshirt junior Brady Feigl.
QUICK HITS
- The Rebels improve to 33-10 on the year, 11-8 in the SEC.
- Ryan Rolison moves to 6-3 on the year. His strikeout total now reads 82.
- The sixth inning's eleven runs are the most in one inning by the Rebels since March 17, 1999 when they plated thirteen in the second inning against Morehead State.
- The sixth was the first time since Feb. 21, 2010, against Louisiana-Monroe that the Rebels scored 10 or more in a single frame.
- The 14-3 victory over LSU is the biggest over the Tigers since a 16-3 win in 2011 at Alex Box Stadium. - Tim Rowe continued his electric week, going 3-for-4 today with three doubles, to up his total to five doubles in the past two games.
- Six Rebels had multi-hit games Thursday night.
- Max Cioffi continued his excellence, going 2.0 scoreless innings of relief work at the end of the game to lower his ERA to 0.55 on the year.
- Thomas Dillard increased his team-best stolen base mark to 13 with a pair of steals on the game.
- Will Golsan notched three RBI today to increase his season total to 35 -- two behind Nick Fortes for second most on the team behind the leader Dillard.
- Every Rebel starter scored a run. Eight of the nine starters scored in the sixth inning.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rolison, Ryan (6-3)
L: Kodros (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Watson 2 ; Bain 1
RBI: Duplantis 1 ; Coomes 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith 1 ; Duplantis 1 ; Bain 1
Batting:
2B: Adams, Jacob 1 ; Rowe, Tim 3
RBI: Kessinger, Grae 1 ; Adams, Jacob 1 ; Fortes, Nick 2 ; Zabowski, Cole 1 ; Golsan, Will 3 ; Cockrell, Chase 2 ; Rowe, Tim 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kessinger, Grae 2 ; Adams, Jacob 1 ; Fortes, Nick 2 ; Dillard, Thomas 1 ; Zabowski, Cole 1 ; Golsan, Will 1 ; Keenan, Tyler 3 ; Cockrell, Chase 2 ; Rowe, Tim 1
SB: Dillard, Thomas 2
CS: Golsan, Will 1
HBP: Keenan, Tyler 1
