Still Hot: Ole Miss Powers Past Southern Miss, 10-0, in Game One of Super Regional
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The powerful Ole Miss offense continued its run through the postseason as the Rebels used a seven-run sixth inning to take game one over Southern Miss, 10-0. The victory puts Ole Miss just one win away from the promised land in Omaha.
EARLY CHANCES
Ole Miss would load the bases with two outs in the top of the second inning, but a Garrett Wood strikeout would end the threat. Southern Miss would follow by putting two on with just one out in the bottom half, but Ole Miss starter Dylan DeLucia would get a fly out and a pop out to escape the jam and keep the game scoreless.
REBS STRIKE FIRST
In the Rebel half of the third, Justin Bench and Jacob Gonzalez would reach on back-to-back walks, bringing Tim Elko to the plate with two on and no outs.
Elko would slap an RBI single through the left side to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead.
The lead belongs to the Rebs!
Tim Elko with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Ole Miss in the 3rd.
📺 ESPNU#RoadToOmaha x @OleMissBSB pic.twitter.com/yz3KLzlsxZ
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 11, 2022
Kemp Alderman would tack on one more with a LOUD sacrifice fly that looked like a homer off the bat, and Ole Miss would take a 2-0 lead headed to the bottom half.
NOT DONE YET
After a shutdown inning from DeLucia, Peyton Chatagnier would lead off the Ole Miss fourth with a ground-rule double. After a Calvin Harris strikeout, Garrett Wood would deliver an RBI double to make it 3-0 Rebels headed to the home half.
G WOOOOOOOOOOOD! 🪵
📺 ESPNU@Gwood22Wood | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/ycOV3KpAjJ
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 11, 2022
Coach Bianco talked about how good Wood has been in recent starts.
“Just really cool. A guy that’s maybe the favorite teammate in the dugout, brings a lot of energy. Doesn’t play a lot but he really lifts spirits and pushes guys in practice and always has a smile on his face and brings a ton of energy. You look and it’s all hands on deck, here we are in a regional and McCants gets hurt and we throw him out there. A guy that’s usually thought of as a defensive replacement has put a ton of really good at bats together over the last few games. Really happy for him. Good things happen to good people and certainly you’re seeing it in that case.“
Coach Mike Bianco on Garrett Wood
CLUTCH DYLAN
With one out in the Golden Eagle fourth, Christopher Sargent cranked a leadoff triple into deep center field to put a run just 90 feet away. But DeLucia would bounce back with a strikeout and fly out to leave him there and preserve the Rebels’ three-run lead.
PITCHING IS GOLDEN
For Southern Miss, their pitching staff has been the star of their show all season, and Hurston Waldrep continued that trend in the top of the fifth. He struck out the side, earning his 10th, 11th and 12th strikeouts of the game. It marked the ninth time this season he’s had ten or more strikeouts in a game and the 46th time the Golden Eagles have hit that mark this season. The 12th strikeout also set a new NCAA record for USM in a game.
CLOSE CALL
In the home half of the fifth, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases after two apparent strike threes were called balls. With two outs, Reece Ewing blasted a deep drive to right field that looked to be a go-ahead grand slam, but upon review was ruled foul.
DeLucia would bounce back and get the strikeout and the Rebels would escape with the lead intact.
Here's the definitive look. Ball was definitely foul. pic.twitter.com/HgeyborTP9
— Austin Eldridge (@AustinonAir1021) June 11, 2022
Southern Miss coach Scott Berry talked about the pitch and what he saw.
“It would’ve been nice to get the home run but a foul ball is a foul ball and I knew it was foul, I could see it go on the other side of the foul pole. Of course I’m going to challenge it… but they got the call right.“
Southern Miss head coach Scott Berry
REBELS ADD ON
In the top of the sixth, Peyton Chatagnier would walk to lead off the inning, followed by a Calvin Harris single that moved him to third. That would mark the end of the day for Southern Miss starter Hurston Waldrep and he would give way to Justin Storm.
Storm would walk Wood on four straight pitches to load the bases. He would then plunk Justin Bench, earning Bench an RBI and making it 4-0 Rebels. It was the 17th hit-by-pitch of the year for Bench.
After throwing a ball to Jacob Gonzalez, Storm would be replaced by Tyler Stuart.
The Rebels were all over him.
Gonzalez promptly welcomed him with an RBI single. Tim Elko followed with a two-RBI double.
SALUTE TO THE CAP pic.twitter.com/a5N1rQIkzU
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 11, 2022
Kevin Graham followed with a two-RBI double of his own. Southern Miss would then make another pitching change, bringing in Drew Boyd.
Hayden Dunhurst would add an RBI single of his own to finish off a seven-run sixth inning for the Rebs that ended with a 10-0 lead for the good guys.
We're having fun! pic.twitter.com/ZlyyO1dWmZ
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 11, 2022
When the bats get so hot, you just gotta take the shades off.
Liking what you're seeing @MClementBSB pic.twitter.com/PWCkDvyEAp
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 11, 2022
ANOTHER PHENOMENAL OUTING
Southern Miss would get two baserunners in the bottom of the sixth, and DeLucia would give way to Jack Dougherty after a magnificent performance.
Dylan’s final line was 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 108 pitches, 66 for strikes.
Loosh's line:
5.2 IP, 4 H, 9 K, NO RUNS
That plays. pic.twitter.com/uS48laQxxx
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 11, 2022
JFD would get the ground out to end the frame and leave both USM runners stranded.
JACK’S GAME
The Jack Dougherty of old seemed to return in this one, as he pitched three phenomenal innings and closed out the victory for Ole Miss. He had to throw just 36 pitches to do it and allowed the Rebels to keep their bullpen fresh for game two.
Coach Bianco spoke about how good Jack was in game one.
“Dougherty is so good because he can really fill up the strike zone and let em roll a little bit. It’s big when you get through the first game with just two guys. I thought he made some big pitches and was terrific today.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Ole Miss needs just one more win in the next two days (if necessary) to make it to Omaha. Game two is set to go at 3:00 p.m. CT on Sunday afternoon. The Rebels will send Hunter Elliott to the mound while the Golden Eagles will send their ace Tanner Hall to counter. The game will air on ESPNU.
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.
