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Ole Miss drops both games of doubleheader to No. 3 Florida

Posted by | Mar 25, 2023 |

Ole Miss drops both games of doubleheader to No. 3 Florida

OXFORD, Miss. – Following the cancellation of Friday’s game against Florida due to the threat of severe weather, the Rebels found themselves at Swayze Saturday for a double-header against the Gators. 

The top-15 matchup was close in game one, with the battle ending in a 9-7 come-from-behind Florida win. In game two, Ole Miss fell behind early and though they kept fighting, the Rebs just couldn’t stop a hot-hitting Gator team. Florida took game two, 12-8, along with the series. 

Here’s what happened in each of Saturday’s games. 

Game One: Ole Miss 7, Florida 9

On the Mound

Jack Dougherty got another game-one start for the Rebs. He began with two quick outs for the red and blue before giving up a solo shot to dead center field that gave Florida an early 1-0 lead.

Dougherty locked in to start the second inning, striking out two more Florida hitters quickly in a 1-2-3 frame for the righty.

A double off Jack to the right field foul pole plated a run for the Gators, tying the game at 2-2 before he stranded runners on the corners.

Two walks and a HBP from Dougherty loaded the bases for the Gators. A groundout plated a run for Florida, making it 5-3 Rebs before Dougherty’s day came to a close.

Jack went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs off five hits, walking two, and striking out seven before handing it off to Mitch Murrell to record the final out of the inning.

Murrell blazed through the next six outs, sitting the Gators down in order to start the seventh and making it back-to-back 1-2-3 frames.

Coach Bianco talked after the game about his reliever.

“I thought he was really good, terrific. He’s been like that, probably the most reliable guy that we’ve run out there…(he) got us out of a jam, put up some zeroes and I just thought we were in a good spot right then. I thought he had done his job, two plus innings. He handed the ball off and it just didn’t work today.”

Coach Bianco on Mitch Murrell

Rebel closer Mason Nichols replaced Murrell with six outs to go. Mitch ended the day with 2.1 innings of work, no runs or hits allowed, one walk, and three Ks.

Unfortunately, a high fly ball carried over the left field wall and shortened the Ole Miss lead to two at 6-4. Nichols proceeded to load the bases, and a bases-clearing double then gave Florida a 7-6 lead. 

That would end Mason’s outing at 0.2 innings pitched, four runs off four hits, and a walk. Sam Tookoian took over with two down, eventually ending the frame.

Tookoian gave up a solo shot to center to begin the ninth, extending the Florida lead to two at 8-6. Eventually loading the bases, the Gators would plate another and knock Tookoian off the mound as they led the Rebs, 9-6.

Tookoian lasted an inning, allowing two runs off two hits, walking three and striking out one. Cole Ketchum took over a bases-loaded situation and induced a groundout with his first pitch.

Mason Nichols was credited with the loss. The Rebel closer gave up four runs in the eighth, en route to the defeat.

Coach Bianco commented on the loss.

“We had a 6-3 lead going, with six outs remaining, and we can’t get the six outs. We gave up six runs up before we got six outs. So, it’s a disappointing finish there.”

Coach Mike Bianco

The Bats

Ethan Groff was hit by the first pitch thrown, eventually getting to third off a Calvin Harris single. Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez grounded out to first, scoring Groff from third to tie it up at 1-1.

Kemp Alderman then drove a ball into center to plate Harris and give the Rebs a 2-1 lead on the Gators after one played.

Back-to-back doubles by Anthony Calarco and Peyton Chatagnier to start the bottom of the fourth quickly gave the Rebels the lead back.

Groff added another shortly after, driving in TJ McCants from third. 

Harris decided to keep the rally going, singling through the right side and allowing Ethan Lege to score from second. The Rebs took a 5-2 lead into the fifth.

A walk and hard ground ball from Alderman put runners on the corners for Anthony Calarco. The Rebel first baseman drove in Gonzo with a SAC fly to center, making it 6-3 Rebs heading to the eighth.

Ole Miss loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, scoring one. That would not be enough as the Gators recorded the last three outs to win game one, 9-7.

The Rebs and Gators took a one-hour break before beginning game two of the double header.

Game Two: Florida 12, Ole Miss 8

Game two came quickly as Ole Miss was still searching for its first SEC win of the season. The fireworks began early, with nine combined runs cored in the third. After that it was all Florida, as the Gators took the series with a 12-8 win in game two.

On the Mound, Part Two 

Grayson Saunier got his usual game-two start for the red and blue. The true freshman walked the leadoff man and allowed a single before a groundout gave the Gators a 1-0 lead quickly in the first.

Saunier hit the leadoff man in the second, eventually allowing the Florida lead to extend to 2-0 due to a pair singles that plated the Gator baserunner.

The top of the third started with a solo shot to right, adding another to the Gator lead. Grayson would give up a double before another shot to right would extend the Florida lead to 5-0. Saunier’s day came to an end with 2 innings of work, five runs off six hits, one walk and three Ks.

JT Quinn was called on to replace Saunier with nobody out, nobody on in the third. A triple to the right field corner and groundout plated another for the Gators before Quinn got out of it, leaving it at 6-0 Florida through two-and-a-half innings. 

Quinn would allow a single, then a triple that drove in another run for Florida. The Gator runner on third eventually raced home due to a wild pitch from Quinn, making it 8-5 Florida.

JT found a groove with back-to-back strikeouts to start the sixth, only to be slowed down by another Florida home run that gave the Gators a 4-run lead at 9-5.

Quinn was replaced by Jordan Vera to begin the seventh. JT finished with 4 innings of work, three earned runs off four hits, and seven Ks.

Vera would allow two more runs in the top of the ninth, knocking him off the mound. Jordan finished with 2.1 innings pitched, three runs off three hits and a pair of Ks.

Jackson Kimbrell would come on to record the final two outs of the inning, allowing a SAC fly in the process to give Florida a 12-6 cushion.

The Rebel pitching staff could not catch a break today, as the Gators scored 21 on 24 hits through both games. The loss was given to Grayson Saunier, giving up six of the Gator runs through the first three innings.

The Bats, Part Two

Will Furniss got things started for Ole Miss in the bottom of the third, singling up the middle. Ethan Lege then doubled to put runners in scoring position for Ethan Groff. The Rebs’ centerfielder then cleared the bases with a double down the line to give Ole Miss two.

The Rebs did not stop there. A walk drawn by Calvin Harris would set up Jacob Gonzalez for a hard grounder that made it past the first baseman, plating Groff.

Kemp Alderman hit an absolute missile off the centerfield wall shortly after, scoring Harris from third.

TJ McCants then grounded out to first, allowing Gonzo to race home and conclude the 5-spot the Rebs put up in the third.

McCants drew a walk to begin the bottom of the sixth, leading to Lege doubling in the gap to put runners in scoring position. Groff would then drive TJ in from third, making it 9-6 Gators through six.

The Ole Miss bats went quiet during the back half game two, only plating one more run off 4 hits after their 5-run third leading up to Kemp’s late homer.

Coach recapped the day postgame:

“Our offense was pretty good today, pretty good against Waldrep as well. The message is that we gotta continue to battle. A lot of young pitchers gotta grow up and make more pitches…it’s disappointing because they’re better than this, but at the end of the day you are who you are and we gotta be better.”

Coach Bianco

Up Next

Ole Miss and Florida begin game three at 2:00 p.m Sunday, and it will be televised on SEC Network. 

The Rebs will begin a five-game road stretch on Tuesday in Pearl, MS when they take on Southern Miss for the second and final time this year. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm.
Kameron Wicker

Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.

About The Author

Kameron Wicker

Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.

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