The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 29
Oxford, Miss.
6:30 PM
Ole Miss
18-9, 0
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Kentucky
22-4, 0
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Kentucky
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Ole Miss
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Baseball Opens Series Against No. 15 Kentucky With Close Loss
3/29/2024 | Baseball
BY JEFF ROBERSON
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one of a three-game series with Kentucky. But the Rebels fell just short in a 5-3 loss at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field Friday night.
UK senior closer Johnny Hummel entered in the ninth after the Rebels' Brayden Randle had walked with Ole Miss down two runs. That's when the Rebels made things interesting.
Randle advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Luke Hill flew out, Andrew Fischer and Jackson Ross reached on walks. With the bases loaded and one out, the Rebels had two veterans in Ethan Lege and Ethan Groff up. But Lege flew out and Groff grounded out to end it.
Ole Miss is 18-9 overall and 3-4 in Southeastern Conference play, while Kentucky improved to 22-4 and 6-1.
Both Rebel starter Riley Maddox and Wildcat starter Trey Pooser made it through the first two innings unscathed. Kentucky scored first in the top of the third. A one-out single by Grant Smith was followed by a walk from Ryan Waldschmidt. Emilien Pitre reached on a fielder's choice, and a throwing error allowed Smith to score. UK led 1-0.
In the bottom of the third, Campbell Smithwick led things off for Ole Miss with a single, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a sac bunt by Randle got Smithwick to third, Hill reached on a walk. After Fischer struck out, Hill advanced to second on a throwing error by Pooser, which allowed Smithwick to score and tie the game after three innings.
Kentucky scored three runs in the top of the sixth as things unraveled for the Rebels. The three runs came on only one hit with an error, and the Wildcats were up 4-1. Maddox pitched through two outs in the sixth, and Mason Nichols came in to get the final out for Ole Miss.
The Rebels got two of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by Lege after Ross had gotten aboard with a single. It was 4-3 with UK leading after six innings.
Kentucky added a run in the eighth on a leadoff home run by Pitre to put the Wildcats up 5-3.
Nichols took the Rebels through an inning and a third, allowing just one run before Mitch Murrell closed the game out through the final two innings.
Maddox is now 2-2 with the loss, while Pooser got the win and is 2-0. Hummel got his second save of the season.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 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 rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one of a three-game series with Kentucky. But the Rebels fell just short in a 5-3 loss at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field Friday night.
UK senior closer Johnny Hummel entered in the ninth after the Rebels' Brayden Randle had walked with Ole Miss down two runs. That's when the Rebels made things interesting.
Randle advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Luke Hill flew out, Andrew Fischer and Jackson Ross reached on walks. With the bases loaded and one out, the Rebels had two veterans in Ethan Lege and Ethan Groff up. But Lege flew out and Groff grounded out to end it.
Ole Miss is 18-9 overall and 3-4 in Southeastern Conference play, while Kentucky improved to 22-4 and 6-1.
Both Rebel starter Riley Maddox and Wildcat starter Trey Pooser made it through the first two innings unscathed. Kentucky scored first in the top of the third. A one-out single by Grant Smith was followed by a walk from Ryan Waldschmidt. Emilien Pitre reached on a fielder's choice, and a throwing error allowed Smith to score. UK led 1-0.
In the bottom of the third, Campbell Smithwick led things off for Ole Miss with a single, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a sac bunt by Randle got Smithwick to third, Hill reached on a walk. After Fischer struck out, Hill advanced to second on a throwing error by Pooser, which allowed Smithwick to score and tie the game after three innings.
Kentucky scored three runs in the top of the sixth as things unraveled for the Rebels. The three runs came on only one hit with an error, and the Wildcats were up 4-1. Maddox pitched through two outs in the sixth, and Mason Nichols came in to get the final out for Ole Miss.
The Rebels got two of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by Lege after Ross had gotten aboard with a single. It was 4-3 with UK leading after six innings.
Kentucky added a run in the eighth on a leadoff home run by Pitre to put the Wildcats up 5-3.
Nichols took the Rebels through an inning and a third, allowing just one run before Mitch Murrell closed the game out through the final two innings.
Maddox is now 2-2 with the loss, while Pooser got the win and is 2-0. Hummel got his second save of the season.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 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: Trey Pooser (2-0)
L: Maddox, Riley (2-2)
S: Johnny Hummel (2)
Batting:
2B: Nick Lopez 1
HR: Emilien Pitre 1
RBI: Emilien Pitre 1
SH: Devin Burkes 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ryan Waldschmidt 1 ; Emilien Pitre 1 ; Nick Lopez 1 ; Mitchell Daly 1 ; Grant Smith 1
SB: Emilien Pitre 1
CS: Ryan Waldschmidt 1
HBP: Ryan Waldschmidt 1 ; Mitchell Daly 1
Batting:
2B: Groff, Ethan 1
HR: Lege, Ethan 1
RBI: Lege, Ethan 2
SH: Randle, Brayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ross, Jackson 1 ; Lege, Ethan 1 ; Smithwick, Campbell 1
HBP: Gatlin, Bo 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballIF/OF
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ BaseballNew Faces: Freshmen Pitchers
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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