Smokin’ Hot: Ole Miss Continues Undefeated Streak in Postseason Behind Masterful Outing From DeLucia
OMAHA – For the first time in eight years, Ole Miss played baseball in Omaha. The Rebels began their campaign through the College World Series with a bang, defeating Auburn 5-1 behind a magnificent performance from Dylan DeLucia.
Field of dreams.#OleMaha | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/9bpEPEbBDp
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 19, 2022
REBS STRIKE FIRST
With two outs in the top of the first inning, Tim Elko singled into right center, followed by a Kevin Graham double down the left field line. Kemp Alderman would then deliver a two-RBI smack into left that gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead.
The Rebs are still hot!
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/oIl5g2nwA8
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 18, 2022
Then in the top of the third, Kevin Graham went oppo-taco to give the Rebels a 3-0 advantage.
KG with the solo shot!
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/C352OgZifr
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 18, 2022
The bomb was the 100th of the season for the Rebels. It marks the first time the Rebels have ever hit 100 or more homers in a single season, with the previous record being 98 back in 1998.
LOOSH IS LOOSE
Through the first 4.2 innings of the contest, Dylan DeLucia was perfect, allowing no hits, no runs, and striking out three on just 56 pitches.
Strut. Stare.
— Austin Eldridge (@AustinonAir1021) June 18, 2022
Auburn would finally break up the no-hitter with a two-out single by Brody Moore in the home half of the fifth inning, but DeLucia would bounce right back with a strikeout to end the frame.
KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON
In the top of inning number six, the first two Rebels would reach, with Kemp Alderman getting a single and Hayden Dunhurst being hit by a pitch.
The Tigers would then make a call to the bullpen, replacing starter Joseph Gonzalez with Carson Skipper.
Calvin Harris would welcome Skipper to the game with a single to load the bases. Peyton Chatagnier would then ground into a fielder’s choice double play that scored Kemp Alderman from third to make it 4-0, Ole Miss, with Harris moving up to second.
A wild pitch followed by a TJ McCants RBI single would make it 5-0 Rebels at the end of the frame.
Tacked on ✌️#OleMaha | @Calvin_Harris33 pic.twitter.com/KfUx22Hr8N
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 19, 2022
HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY‼️#MCWS x @OleMissBSB pic.twitter.com/r9CjoY4Hx7
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2022
MOWING ‘EM DOWN
It seems that every outing DeLucia makes is the new “biggest outing of his career.” And Saturday night was no different.
Through six innings of one-hit work from the Ole Miss ace, the Tigers simply had no answer for him. He had allowed just one hit, no runs, no walks and struck out seven on just 71 pitches.
TIGERS START TO STIR, DELUCIA QUIETS THEM BACK DOWN
In the Auburn seventh, the Tigers finally started to get to DeLucia. Three consecutive hits to open the inning gave Auburn its first run of the game.
The run ended a 26-consecutive-scoreless-inning streak for the Rebels. Head coach Mike Bianco would come out of the dugout to visit with his ace, who would promptly get three straight outs to retire the side and leave two Tigers on base.
DeLucia talked about campaigning for himself to stay in the game during the mound visit.
“I wanted to stay in the game. He had complete confidence in me. He just said throw strikes and get out of this, so that was the point.”
Dylan DeLucia on Bianco’s mound visit
DeLucia would come back out to start the 8th and would get the first two outs on strikeouts.
Still out there struttin'#OleMaha | @dylan_delucia22 pic.twitter.com/dMY0ocoImo
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 19, 2022
He looked to be through the inning with a ground ball, but an error on Jacob Gonzalez would allow Blake Rambusch to reach. That would be the end of the day for DeLucia, who had delivered yet another masterful performance.
His final line was: 7.2 innings, four hits, one run, no walks, ten strikeouts on 114 pitches.
Today's Line:
L00000010sh pic.twitter.com/a989wIGFvK
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 19, 2022
Josh Mallitz would come on in relief, but wouldn’t have to record the third out himself. Hayden Dunhurst took care of that for him, with a bullet snap throw to first base to back-pick Rambusch and send the game to the ninth inning.
WHAT A DART FROM HAYDEN DUNHURST!!
📺 ESPN2#MCWS x @OleMissBSB pic.twitter.com/KiSVfVcE4u
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2022
1-0 IN OMAHA
Mallitz would come back out for the ninth inning with Ole Miss still leading 5-1. He would get three strikeouts in the frame and the Rebels would move into the Omaha winner’s bracket with a 1-0 start.
What. A. Night. pic.twitter.com/QQbgTVPuAS
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 19, 2022
The win also left Ole Miss as the only undefeated team remaining in the postseason, after Texas A&M fell to Oklahoma on Friday, 13-8.
With a PERFECT RECORD, @OleMissBSB is the only team to have not lost a game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament! #MCWS pic.twitter.com/JcuiQAnXFL
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2022
Rebels’ head coach Mike Bianco spoke about the victory.
“We played very well and it always starts on the mound. I thought Dylan was terrific as he’s been not just down the stretch but probably since we injected him into the rotation. Tonight against a really good Auburn offense he mixed his pitches so well, fastballs in and out, a ton of sliders for strikes and able to move the slider to get some punch outs. He was able to elevate his fastball and do just about anything tonight and you could tell they had a tough time figuring him out.“
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco
UP NEXT
Ole Miss will move from one SEC West foe to another after Arkansas defeated Stanford 17-2 on Saturday. The Rebels and Razorbacks are set to play on Monday at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Austin Eldridge
Austin has more than ten years in sports media, including sports talk radio, play-by-play broadcasting and journalism. He has followed Ole Miss athletics for his entire life and has covered the Rebels and the rest of the SEC while working in the Memphis media market. Outside of sports media, Austin is a musician and outdoorsman. Before a serious accident forced him to be medically discharged, he was a multi-media journalist with the Mississippi National Guard.
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