Evan Anderson pitches the ball during the first inning of Mississippi’s game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on April 2, in Oxford, Miss. (Alex Edwards/The Daily Mississippian)
The Ole Miss baseball team showed its resilience Wednesday after getting swept at Alabama over the weekend as it breezed past Arkansas-Pine Bluff in an 11-1 rout.
“One of the things that we’ve stressed always from game one is they all count the same,” head coach Mike Bianco said after the game. “So it doesn’t matter if you get beat in the ninth; it doesn’t matter if you win in the ninth; they all count the same. So don’t get caught up in the race and the scores.”
Freshman left-handed pitcher Evan Anderson had a landmark day, as he earned his first win of the season, improving his record to 1-0 in his second start. Anderson gave up one hit and struck out one through 3.2 innings of work. Six total pitchers saw action today, including lefty Scott Ashford, who got his first action of the season.
Kyle Schwartz took the loss for the Golden Lions. He lasted one inning and gave up four runs, two earned, on three hits.
Freshman J.B. Woodman also had a breakout day, as he hit his first career home run in an Ole Miss uniform. The solo shot came with two outs in the bottom of the third. Senior pitcher Redmond Floyd of the Golden Lions entered the game in the bottom of the fifth in relief of junior Samuel Olson, who recorded the first out of the inning with a ground-out to short from freshman Brantley Bell. A groundout to second from senior John Gatlin brought up Woodman, and he belted the no-doubter over the right field wall.
“It was definitely nice,” Woodman said. “It felt good to get one. I’ve been working hard for it, so it felt nice to finally get a home run.”
Ole Miss (22-8) shot out of the gates early, taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Junior leadoff hitter Braxton Lee got things started by drawing a walk, stealing second and then scoring on a wild throw after junior Auston Bousfield, hitting in the two-spot, grounded to the pitcher.
Bousfield slid safely into second and then stole third before senior Austin Anderson blasted his eighth double of the season, which knocked Bousfield in.
A single to center from senior Will Allen brought junior Sikes Orvis to the plate, and he scored Anderson with an RBI single.
Gatlin grounded into a double play but knocked in the fourth run of the auspicious first inning.
After a dry second inning, Ole Miss added three runs in the third and one in the fourth before Arkansas-Pine Bluff (8-20) scratched across its sole run of the day in the top of the fifth inning when sophomore Rashawn Tillman grounded into a fielder’s choice with runners at first and third. Ole Miss took the out at second and senior Mike Wieland trotted home. The Rebels answered with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Ole Miss will take on the Auburn Tigers this weekend in a three-game home series. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m.
