After Ole Miss rally falls short in game two, No. 5 Rebels look to take series from Aggies

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Ole Miss fell behind A&M early at Blue Bell Park Friday night as the Aggies notched a four-run second inning to take the lead. But with one swing of the bat in the top of the eighth inning, Ole Miss junior Michael Fitzsimmons‘ grand slam scored that many runs, bringing No. 5 Ole Miss to within one; however, the Rebels’ rally fell just short as the No. 11 Aggies held on to win, 7-6.

After the second inning, starting pitcher Brady Feigl got in a groove and tallied a 1-2-3 inning in the third. The Rebels got one run back in the top of the fourth as Will Golsan’s double drove in Thomas Dillard who had singled through the left side.

In two of the next three innings, Feigl retired the side and the Rebels were down 5-1 going into the seventh. In that inning, Chase Cockrell got things going for Ole Miss with a single to center, followed by Cooper Johnson’s hit that went underneath A&M shortstop Braden Shewmake’s glove. Ole Miss’ Jacob Adams singled up the middle to score Cockrell, making it a 5-2 game.

Junior designated hitter Cockrell finished 3-for-3 on the day and scored twice.

(Chase Cockrell – Video credit: Evelyn Van Pelt)

A&M scored two more in the bottom of the seventh. Feigl got the first out of the seventh, but Aggies’ leadoff hitter Zach DeLoach singled and that would bring an end to Brady’s day after 6.1 innings pitched. Helman then doubled off Will Stokes who relieved Feigl.

The Aggies’ two-RBI single to center would give A&M a 7-2 lead. Sophomore pitcher Greer Holston took the mound to relieve Stokes, inheriting a bases-loaded, one-out game. He pitched tremendously, retiring consecutive batters to end the inning.

Though they were down 7-2 heading into the eighth inning, head coach Mike Bianco’s team wasn’t done yet. Nick Fortes took a fastball to the left hand to begin the inning. Thomas Dillard reached base next as a result of a pitch he took on his lower leg. Cockrell gave the Rebels loaded bases with a two-out walk.

That’s when Fitzsimmons, pinch hitting for Johnson, absolutely destroyed a 2-1 pitch from Aggies’ Chandler Jozwiak, sending the ball into the scoreboard in left field for a grand slam that brought Ole Miss to within one, 7-6. Fitzsimmons’ blast is the Rebels’ first grand slam since April, 2015 when Colby Bortles hammered one against UT Martin.

Holston again did work in the eighth for the Rebels. After giving the Aggies a leadoff walk, Holston retired the next three in order, including a strikeout of Michael Helman–arguably the Aggies’ hottest hitter–to end the inning.

Cole Zabowski doubled down the left field line in the ninth to give the Rebels a chance, but the Ole Miss rally fell just short.

Notables

• Twelve different Rebels have hit a home run this season
• All six of Ole Miss’ runs came with two outs.
• Ole Miss’ three losses this season have come by a combined four run

Rubber game

Ole Miss and A&M will play Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (CT) to decide the series. The game will be on SEC Network+.

(Mike Bianco – Video credit: Evelyn Van Pelt, The Rebel Walk)