The Missouri Tigers traveled to Oxford over the weekend for a three-game series with the Ole Miss Rebels, fresh off a 14-6 midweek victory over Arkansas Pine Bluff.
After a 41-minute rain delay Friday night, the Ole Miss grounds crew peeled back the tarp covering Swayze Field as the Rebels and Tigers returned from their respective dugouts. Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco gave the start to James McArthur, while Missouri’s Cole Bartlett got the nod from Steve Bieser. Tanner Houck was slated to start for the Tigers, but a last-minute pitching change kept the Rebel coaching staff on its toes.
Tate Blackman and Colby Bortles jump-started the offense with a pair of singles that led to an early 2-0 lead, but the Rebels could not sustain the effort; Missouri answered with a two-run dinger in the second followed by a solo shot in the third.
McArthur conceded four runs from three hits, two of them home runs, in six complete innings of work. Bartlett held the Rebels to 10 hits and three runs on the night en route to Missouri’s eventual 9-3 victory. One of the few bright spots for Ole Miss, junior right fielder Will Golsan went 3-4 on the night, including a single in the bottom of the ninth that led to the Rebels’ third run.
The Ole Miss pitching staff delivered in a big way against the Tigers on Saturday, correcting mistakes and leading the Rebels to a 3-1 victory. Bianco sent freshman right-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison to the mound to face Missouri’s Houck, scheduled for Friday but bumped to Saturday’s match.
Freshman Ryan Rolison throws a pitch during Ole Miss’ game against Texas Tech earlier this season. Rolison pitched six shutout innings against Mizzou on Saturday, contributing to the Rebels’ win. (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
Rolison pitched six shutout innings before fellow freshman Will Ethridge took over, adding a pair of scoreless innings himself. Dallas Woolfolk closed the match for the Rebels in the ninth, allowing a single Mizzou run to slip through the cracks.
On the offensive side of Saturday’s game, five different players contributed hits to the Rebel cause. Tim Rowe grounded out with bases loaded in the bottom of the first, driving in Ole Miss’ first RBI before Bortles slapped a two-RBI single down the middle in the fifth inning.
Missouri held on until the very end, nailing a one-run homer followed by a double in the ninth inning. With the tying run at second, Woolfolk settled in and retired Missouri’s Alex Samples before forcing an easy pop-up to Grae Kessinger for the final out of the afternoon.
The stage was set for a Sunday afternoon showdown between the two SEC rivals. After an intense, marathon-like game, the Rebels pulled out a 9-6 victory over the Tigers, securing the series win.
This time around, Bianco sent junior pitcher David Parkinson to the mound. The left-handed hurler conceded four runs from eight hits in the space of four innings before freshman Houston Roth relieved him in the fifth inning. Roth pitched for three innings, giving up four hits and two runs, before Bianco called on Ethridge to finish out the weekend.
Nick Fortes and Bortles led the way for the Rebel offense Sunday. Fortes contributed two doubles, good for three RBIs, and Bortles added three RBIs of his own, courtesy of a three-run shot in the fourth inning.
With a 9-1 lead after the fourth, Ole Miss looked comfortable, but the Tigers scored three runs in the fifth and two more in the eighth. While Missouri never found its comeback, the Tiger batters certainly kept the game interesting.
The Rebels, 9-9 in SEC play and 25-15 overall, now turn their attention to a Tuesday night matchup with Mississippi State in Pearl. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
