The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 15
Oxford, Miss.
6:30 PM
Ole Miss
14-5, 0
5
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4
South Carolina
14-4, 0
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9
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South Carolina
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Ole Miss
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X
5
9
1
Baseball Opens SEC Play With Win Over No. 20 South Carolina
3/15/2024 | Baseball
BY JEFF ROBERSON
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss and No. 20 South Carolina battled in a close encounter to open the Southeastern Conference baseball season, and it was the Rebels who got the victory 5-4 at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
Ole Miss (14-5 overall, 1-0 SEC) got four solid pitching performances in the contest, capped by closer Connor Spencer's 1.2 innings to help put the game in the win column. The senior right-hander faced five batters, had one strikeout, and no Gamecocks reached. It was his fourth save of the season.
Prior to the stellar pitching from Spencer, starter Gunnar Davis had gone five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with two walks but seven big strikeouts. That he hit four batters was certainly not a positive, but he overcame those moments, as did his team.
Mitch Murrell was next, pitching an inning and facing three batters with a strikeout. Mason Nichols came on and pitched 1.1 innings allowing one earned run on one hit with a walk and two strikeouts and he hit one batter.
In the first inning, both starting pitchers - Dennis for the Rebels and Eli Jones for USC - had a bit of trouble getting started with two aboard. But neither allowed a run, and after an inning it was still 0-0.
The Gamecocks (14-4, 0-1) picked up two runs in the top of the second. Dennis hit his third batter of the game after a single by Parker Noland. Will Tippett, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, came through with a double to the wall that scored two.
In the bottom of the third, Luke Hill reached on a single for the Rebels, followed by a Will Furniss walk. After Hill stole third, Eli Berch hit into a double play but Hill scored. That was all the Rebels would get as Jones limited the damage, and it was 2-1 USC after two complete.
Dennis got through the third inning allowing only a hit, and the Rebels got nothing off Jones in the third.
Each team got a run in the fourth. Back-to-back singles by Noland and Tyler Causey got something started for USC, and a Dylan Brewer groundout scored Noland. After Ethan Lege singled and Treyson Hughes walked, Hill grounded out to move them both into scoring position. Furniss then grounded out to score Lege. USC led 3-2 after four innings.
Dennis got the Rebels through the fifth inning with nothing else for USC. In the bottom of the fifth, Brayden Randle led off with a single to center field. But Groff then hit into a double play. Fischer walked, and Jackson Ross flew out to end the inning.
Murrell, who got the victory and is 1-0, relieved Dennis to start the sixth. The senior right-hander took care of business with a three up, three down frame.
In the bottom of the sixth, a first-pitch leadoff single to center field by Lege ended the night for USC starting pitcher Jones. Right-hander Chris Veach came on and Ole Miss took advantage of Lege's leadoff hit. Hughes singled, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Hill doubled to left to get them home, and the Rebels led 4-3. That's the way things stood heading to the seventh.
Nichols came in for Murrell and got three quick outs. The Rebels had a chance for a big bottom of the seventh but were only able to get one run. After Fischer and Ross walked, USC changed pitchers as right-hander Parker Marlatt entered the game. After Lege walked to load the bases, Hughes grounded into a double play but Fischer scored. Hill then grounded out to end the inning. Ole Miss led 5-3.
A leadoff double to the right center wall by Kennedy Jones got things started for South Carolina in the eighth inning. Gavin Casas walked and USC had something going. Noland reached on a fielder's choice, and Jones was able to score on a throwing error to cut the UM lead to 5-4. After Causey was hit by a Nichols pitch, the right-hander Spencer entered. With some help from his defense, especially a third-out play by second baseman Randle to end that frame in dramatic fashion, Spencer was able to move things on to the bottom of the eighth.
After the Rebels couldn't score, Spencer was back on the mound in the top of the ninth with a one-run lead. And he got the job done. A fly out, a strikeout, and a foul out to first base, and this one belonged to Ole Miss. SEC win No. 1 of 2024 was in the record book.
In addition to his terrific defensive play in the eighth, Randle was also efficient at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Hill and Lege had two hits each. The Rebels outhit the Gamecocks nine to six.
Veach, the second USC pitcher, got the loss and is 0-1.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 1 p.m., and the Sunday finale is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss and No. 20 South Carolina battled in a close encounter to open the Southeastern Conference baseball season, and it was the Rebels who got the victory 5-4 at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
Ole Miss (14-5 overall, 1-0 SEC) got four solid pitching performances in the contest, capped by closer Connor Spencer's 1.2 innings to help put the game in the win column. The senior right-hander faced five batters, had one strikeout, and no Gamecocks reached. It was his fourth save of the season.
Prior to the stellar pitching from Spencer, starter Gunnar Davis had gone five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with two walks but seven big strikeouts. That he hit four batters was certainly not a positive, but he overcame those moments, as did his team.
Mitch Murrell was next, pitching an inning and facing three batters with a strikeout. Mason Nichols came on and pitched 1.1 innings allowing one earned run on one hit with a walk and two strikeouts and he hit one batter.
In the first inning, both starting pitchers - Dennis for the Rebels and Eli Jones for USC - had a bit of trouble getting started with two aboard. But neither allowed a run, and after an inning it was still 0-0.
The Gamecocks (14-4, 0-1) picked up two runs in the top of the second. Dennis hit his third batter of the game after a single by Parker Noland. Will Tippett, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, came through with a double to the wall that scored two.
In the bottom of the third, Luke Hill reached on a single for the Rebels, followed by a Will Furniss walk. After Hill stole third, Eli Berch hit into a double play but Hill scored. That was all the Rebels would get as Jones limited the damage, and it was 2-1 USC after two complete.
Dennis got through the third inning allowing only a hit, and the Rebels got nothing off Jones in the third.
Each team got a run in the fourth. Back-to-back singles by Noland and Tyler Causey got something started for USC, and a Dylan Brewer groundout scored Noland. After Ethan Lege singled and Treyson Hughes walked, Hill grounded out to move them both into scoring position. Furniss then grounded out to score Lege. USC led 3-2 after four innings.
Dennis got the Rebels through the fifth inning with nothing else for USC. In the bottom of the fifth, Brayden Randle led off with a single to center field. But Groff then hit into a double play. Fischer walked, and Jackson Ross flew out to end the inning.
Murrell, who got the victory and is 1-0, relieved Dennis to start the sixth. The senior right-hander took care of business with a three up, three down frame.
In the bottom of the sixth, a first-pitch leadoff single to center field by Lege ended the night for USC starting pitcher Jones. Right-hander Chris Veach came on and Ole Miss took advantage of Lege's leadoff hit. Hughes singled, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Hill doubled to left to get them home, and the Rebels led 4-3. That's the way things stood heading to the seventh.
Nichols came in for Murrell and got three quick outs. The Rebels had a chance for a big bottom of the seventh but were only able to get one run. After Fischer and Ross walked, USC changed pitchers as right-hander Parker Marlatt entered the game. After Lege walked to load the bases, Hughes grounded into a double play but Fischer scored. Hill then grounded out to end the inning. Ole Miss led 5-3.
A leadoff double to the right center wall by Kennedy Jones got things started for South Carolina in the eighth inning. Gavin Casas walked and USC had something going. Noland reached on a fielder's choice, and Jones was able to score on a throwing error to cut the UM lead to 5-4. After Causey was hit by a Nichols pitch, the right-hander Spencer entered. With some help from his defense, especially a third-out play by second baseman Randle to end that frame in dramatic fashion, Spencer was able to move things on to the bottom of the eighth.
After the Rebels couldn't score, Spencer was back on the mound in the top of the ninth with a one-run lead. And he got the job done. A fly out, a strikeout, and a foul out to first base, and this one belonged to Ole Miss. SEC win No. 1 of 2024 was in the record book.
In addition to his terrific defensive play in the eighth, Randle was also efficient at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Hill and Lege had two hits each. The Rebels outhit the Gamecocks nine to six.
Veach, the second USC pitcher, got the loss and is 0-1.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 1 p.m., and the Sunday finale is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Murrell, Mitch (1-0)
L: Chris Veach (0-1)
S: Spencer, Connor (4)
Batting:
2B: Kennedy Jones 1 ; Will Tippett 1
RBI: Dylan Brewer 1 ; Will Tippett 2
SH: Will Tippett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kennedy Jones 1 ; Parker Noland 2 ; Tyler Causey 1
SB: Dylan Brewer 1
HBP: Dylan Brewer 1 ; Ethan Petry 1 ; Cole Messina 1 ; Tyler Causey 2
Batting:
2B: Hill, Luke 1
RBI: Hill, Luke 2 ; Furniss, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fischer, Andrew 1 ; Lege, Ethan 2 ; Hughes, Treyson 1 ; Hill, Luke 1
SB: Groff, Ethan 1 ; Hill, Luke 1 ; Randle, Brayden 1
CS: Randle, Brayden 1
Game Leaders
AB
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H
3
RBI
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2
R
2
H
2
RBI
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AB
4
R
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H
1
RBI
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Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
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/ Baseball
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/ Baseball
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