Junior Connor Cloyd runs to first base after batting during the baseball game against the Central Arkansas Tuesday (DM Photo | Marlee Crawford)
The baseball team rebounded from its series loss at Auburn last weekend with an early offensive explosion, leading to a 18-3 win over University of Central Arkansas.
Ole Miss pounded out a season-high 18 runs on 21 hits, including 14 runs in the first two innings on Tuesday.
Junior left-hander Mitchel Babb got his first career start on Tuesday. Babb got off to a shaky start, giving up a run in the first three innings before settling down to pitch a scoreless fourth. Babb was pulled with a commanding lead after the fourth inning and allowed three runs on seven hits and earned the win in his first career start.
“I thought Mitchel (Babb) was terrific. He threw a lot off balls over the plate,” Mike Bianco, head coach, said. “He did exactly what we asked him to do.”
After giving up a run in the top of the first, the Rebels responded with an eight-run first inning that saw them plate six runs on seven hits and a walk before the first out of the frame was recorded. Central Arkansas was forced to use three pitchers in the first inning as the Rebels quickly blew the game open.
The Rebels continued the scoring in the second inning by plating six runs in the to take, commanding 14-2 lead after two innings.
Junior left-hander Matt Denny came on in relief for Babb. Denny had his best and longest outing of the season, going four innings and surrendering just one run on four hits in the win.
“Denny was terrific, he was the best he has been all year,” Bianco said.
Ole Miss added two more runs in the fifth and the sixth to increase their run 18-3. UCA added a run in the seventh to make the score 18-4, but the Rebels held them at there in the final two frames.
Six different Rebels had multi-hit games, including four hits each from junior outfielder Connor Cloyd and sophomore outfielder J.B. Woodman. Cloyd continued to swing a hot bat and has come on strong in the recent weeks.
“I’m seeing the ball well and just trying to get my bat through the zone,” Cloyd said. “I thought everyone built off of each other and everyone got hits. It was a great night.”
All nine starters had a hit and an RBI by the fifth inning of the contest and 10 Rebels recorded hits throughout the game.
Senior left-hander Scott Ashford came on in the game in the ninth in his fourth relief appearance of the season. Ashford pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game and secure the win.
With the win, Ole Miss improves to 21-20 on the year and continues its stretch of five games in six days.
“We need five wins this week. It is getting to that time of year where you need to win every game,” Woodman said.
“If you’re going to make a run, this is the time of year to do it,” Bianco said.
Ole Miss returns to action Wednesday against the Memphis Tigers. Memphis will come into Oxford with a record of 26-12 and 7-5 in Conference USA play. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
