The Ole Miss Rebels clashed with in-state rival Mississippi State Tuesday night. The Rebels, who were 0-3 against Bulldogs this season, were outmatched by the No. 7 ranked team in the country again.
The 38th annual Governor’s Cup, played on neutral turf in Pearl, ended in a 4-2 defeat in a match that was characterized by late scoring. Scoreless through the fourth inning, the Rebels consistently put runners on base but never seemed to be able to seal the deal early.
MSU kicked off the scoring in the fifth inning when first baseman Brent Rooker blasted a ball over the left center wall to drive home three RBIs. With the home run, Rooker increased his tally to 16 and his RBI total to 58, good enough for fourth and second in the NCAA respectively.
The Rebels broke the scoring barrier in the next inning with two runs. The first came when Thomas Dillard ground-rule doubled to right field and was hit in by catcher Cooper Johnson, who got himself to second base after a failed attempt by MSU to stop the run at home plate.
Grae Kessinger grounded out, which allowed Johnson to advance to third base. Second baseman Tate Blackman smashed a double to center field to bring home Johnson the next at-bat. Will Golsan grounded out to end the inning.
Mississippi State hard-hitter Rooker was at it again in the eighth when he struck a ball to right field, adding a double to his hit list on the game. Shortstop Ryan Gridley hit Rooker home on the succeeding at-bat to conclude the scoring.
There are a few things to take away from the defeat.
First, the Rebels are playing some really good defense. Mississippi State has a plethora of offensive weapons at its disposal, and while Ole Miss had trouble containing some of those weapons, namely slugger Rooker, the Rebels look much different than the team that allowed nine and 15 runs against Missouri and LSU in recent weeks.
The excellent defense is a return to an Ole Miss team that still ranks 10th in the country in ERA, showing off its defensive ability to leave runners stranded on base, as well the prowess of a solid pitching core.
Unfortunately, allowing four runs means that the offense needs to drive in five RBIs to win. The Rebels clearly didn’t achieve this scoring mark, despite an unusually high hit total for an offense that relies on the quality of its hitting and not the quantity.
The close game is reminiscent of the past SEC series between the two teams, where Ole Miss was narrowly defeated in Oxford through the three games. The Rebels, at times this season, have looked primed and ready to take on strong opponents but seem to falter when the pressure is on.
The Rebels will play their next game Thursday in Fayetteville against conference opponents No. 10 Arkansas in the first game of a three-game series.
