The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, March 27
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
1 PM
Ole Miss
20-4, 6-0
11
at
6
Alabama
15-9, 1-5
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5
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9
R
H
E
Ole Miss
0
0
0
0
4
3
1
2
1
11
13
0
Alabama
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
6
10
0
Baseball Sweeps No. 23 Alabama to Start SEC Play at 6-0
3/27/2021 | Baseball
Rebels Follow Elko’s Monster Day to Sweep First SEC Road Series Since 2014
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 3 Ole Miss baseball improved to 6-0 to start SEC play for the first time since 1969 with an 11-6 win over No. 23 Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Tim Elko continued his outstanding season, leading the Rebels at the plate with a 4-for-5 day with a double, a home run and five RBI. Justin Bench, Jacob Gonzalez and TJ McCatns all turned in multi-hit days with two apiece, while Bench and John Rhys Plumlee joined Elko with multiple RBI.
On the mound, starter Derek Diamond turned in a solid outing, going 6.0 innings with three runs allowed in six hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Austin Miller, Wes Burton and Josh Mallitz combined to close it out, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks over 3.0 innings of work.
The Crimson Tide struck first in the second after a leadoff double by Andrew Pinckney, who later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Tate. After allowing the run, Diamond found his groove, retiring seven straight Crimson Tide batters.
Ole Miss had a scoring opportunity in the second after a leadoff single by Elko and a walk by Hayden Dunhurst. The pair advanced to scoring position on a groundout by Gonzalez, but the Rebels couldn't cash in.
The visitors finally broke through in the fifth. Plumlee started it with a one-out walk. Peyton Chatagnier singled and Kevin Graham was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Elko with two outs. The Rebel captain made the most of it, clearing the bases with a rocket double to left field to give his team a 3-1 lead. Elko came home shortly thereafter as the Alabama catcher couldn't locate a wild pitch, allowing him to wheel all the way around from second to make it a three-run advantage.
Alabama answered in the bottom half, starting with a pair of infield singles. The Crimson Tide plated one run on an Owen Diodati sacrifice fly and another on Sam Praytor single. Diamond escaped the jam with a strikeout of Drew Williamson to strand one in scoring position.
Ole Miss got those two runs back and one more in the sixth. Gonzalez set the table with a leadoff single and came home on a base hit by McCants. Then Plumlee ripped a double down the left field line to score McCants before coming home himself on a Bench base knock.
Miller relieved Diamond in the seventh and quickly retired the Crimson Tide in order. The Rebels carried that momentum into the eighth. Chatagnier led off with a walk and gave way to pinch runner Garrett Wood. Wood wasn't on the basepaths long as two batters later, Elko crushed a ball off the scoreboard in left field to make it a 10-3 Rebel lead.
Alabama got those two runs back in the eighth on a two-run home run by Reeves. Miller retired the next batter before passing the ball to Burton, who induced a flyout to end the inning.
The Rebels tacked on one more insurance run in the ninth, starting with a double off the wall by McCants. Bench drove him home with a single to center to make it an 11-5 lead.
Mallitz came on in the ninth to close things out. The freshman gave up a solo home run but allowed the Tide to roll no further to cap off the sweep.
Ole Miss returns to action on Tuesday against North Alabama. The Rebels will host the Lions at 4 p.m. CT at Swayze Field.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss improved to 20-4 on the year and 6-0 in SEC play.
- The Rebels have started SEC play at 6-0 for the first time since 1969.
- Ole Miss is the first team to start SEC play at 6-0 since South Carolina in 2016 and only SEC West team to start 6-0 in the Mike Bianco era.
- Ole Miss swept consecutive SEC series since going 6-0 against Alabama and Tennessee in 2013.
- Ole Miss swept its first SEC road series since taking three at Kentucky in 2014.
- Justin Bench reached on a hit-by-pitch twice and has now been hit an SEC-leading 11 times this season.
- John Rhys Plumlee tied a career-high with two RBI.
- Tim Elko hit his ninth home run of the season and tied a career-high with five RBI as part of a 4-for-5 day.
- Jacob Gonzalez notched his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
- Derek Diamond recorded his eighth career start with 5.0-plus innings pitched.
Tim Elko continued his outstanding season, leading the Rebels at the plate with a 4-for-5 day with a double, a home run and five RBI. Justin Bench, Jacob Gonzalez and TJ McCatns all turned in multi-hit days with two apiece, while Bench and John Rhys Plumlee joined Elko with multiple RBI.
On the mound, starter Derek Diamond turned in a solid outing, going 6.0 innings with three runs allowed in six hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Austin Miller, Wes Burton and Josh Mallitz combined to close it out, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks over 3.0 innings of work.
The Crimson Tide struck first in the second after a leadoff double by Andrew Pinckney, who later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Tate. After allowing the run, Diamond found his groove, retiring seven straight Crimson Tide batters.
Ole Miss had a scoring opportunity in the second after a leadoff single by Elko and a walk by Hayden Dunhurst. The pair advanced to scoring position on a groundout by Gonzalez, but the Rebels couldn't cash in.
The visitors finally broke through in the fifth. Plumlee started it with a one-out walk. Peyton Chatagnier singled and Kevin Graham was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Elko with two outs. The Rebel captain made the most of it, clearing the bases with a rocket double to left field to give his team a 3-1 lead. Elko came home shortly thereafter as the Alabama catcher couldn't locate a wild pitch, allowing him to wheel all the way around from second to make it a three-run advantage.
Alabama answered in the bottom half, starting with a pair of infield singles. The Crimson Tide plated one run on an Owen Diodati sacrifice fly and another on Sam Praytor single. Diamond escaped the jam with a strikeout of Drew Williamson to strand one in scoring position.
Ole Miss got those two runs back and one more in the sixth. Gonzalez set the table with a leadoff single and came home on a base hit by McCants. Then Plumlee ripped a double down the left field line to score McCants before coming home himself on a Bench base knock.
Miller relieved Diamond in the seventh and quickly retired the Crimson Tide in order. The Rebels carried that momentum into the eighth. Chatagnier led off with a walk and gave way to pinch runner Garrett Wood. Wood wasn't on the basepaths long as two batters later, Elko crushed a ball off the scoreboard in left field to make it a 10-3 Rebel lead.
Alabama got those two runs back in the eighth on a two-run home run by Reeves. Miller retired the next batter before passing the ball to Burton, who induced a flyout to end the inning.
The Rebels tacked on one more insurance run in the ninth, starting with a double off the wall by McCants. Bench drove him home with a single to center to make it an 11-5 lead.
Mallitz came on in the ninth to close things out. The freshman gave up a solo home run but allowed the Tide to roll no further to cap off the sweep.
Ole Miss returns to action on Tuesday against North Alabama. The Rebels will host the Lions at 4 p.m. CT at Swayze Field.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss improved to 20-4 on the year and 6-0 in SEC play.
- The Rebels have started SEC play at 6-0 for the first time since 1969.
- Ole Miss is the first team to start SEC play at 6-0 since South Carolina in 2016 and only SEC West team to start 6-0 in the Mike Bianco era.
- Ole Miss swept consecutive SEC series since going 6-0 against Alabama and Tennessee in 2013.
- Ole Miss swept its first SEC road series since taking three at Kentucky in 2014.
- Justin Bench reached on a hit-by-pitch twice and has now been hit an SEC-leading 11 times this season.
- John Rhys Plumlee tied a career-high with two RBI.
- Tim Elko hit his ninth home run of the season and tied a career-high with five RBI as part of a 4-for-5 day.
- Jacob Gonzalez notched his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
- Derek Diamond recorded his eighth career start with 5.0-plus innings pitched.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Diamond, Derek (3-2)
L: Connor Shamblin (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Elko, Tim 1 ; Gonzalez, Jacob 1 ; McCants, TJ 1 ; Plumlee, John Rhys 1
HR: Elko, Tim 1
RBI: Bench, Justin 2 ; Elko, Tim 5 ; McCants, TJ 1 ; Plumlee, John Rhys 2
SF: Plumlee, John Rhys 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chatagnier, Peyton 1 ; Wood, Garrett 1 ; Graham, Kevin 1 ; Elko, Tim 2 ; Dunhurst, Hayden 1 ; Gonzalez, Jacob 1 ; McCants, TJ 2 ; Plumlee, John Rhys 2
HBP: Bench, Justin 2 ; Graham, Kevin 1 ; Loposer, Knox 1 ; Plumlee, John Rhys 1
Batting:
2B: Andrew Pinckney 1
HR: Peyton Wilson 1 ; T.J. Reeves 1
RBI: Peyton Wilson 1 ; Owen Diodati 1 ; Sam Praytor 1 ; T.J. Reeves 2 ; Jackson Tate 1
SF: Owen Diodati 1 ; Jackson Tate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Peyton Wilson 2 ; Davis Heller 1 ; T.J. Reeves 1 ; Andrew Pinckney 1 ; Jackson Tate 1
SB: Peyton Wilson 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP/IF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
PRESSER | Mike Bianco & Luke Hill - Oxford Regional Final vs. Murray State (06-02-25)
Monday, June 02
HIGHLIGHTS: Baseball vs. Murray State_NCAA Regional (6/2/25)
Monday, June 02
Brayden Randle Hits First HR of The Season vs Murray State
Monday, June 02
Judd Utermark Sixth HR Of The Regional
Monday, June 02