Ole Miss baseball drops game two to Georgia; rubber game set for Sunday
OXFORD, Miss. – Following a 7-3 victory last night over Georgia, the Rebels were back at Swayze Saturday in attempt to win Ole Miss’ first SEC series this season.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they evened the series with a 7-3 victory over the Rebels.
On the Mound
Freshman JT Quinn found himself on the bump again for another weekend start. The righty made quick work of the top of the Bulldogs’ order, punching out the first two hitters en route to a 1-2-3 inning.
☝🏼 up, ☝🏼 down | @quinnjt1 pic.twitter.com/sPvOCTNIfB
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 29, 2023
In the top of the third, Quinn gave three free passes to the Bulldogs and a hit by pitch would eventually plate a UGA runner. A SAC fly to right soon followed, giving Georgia a 2-0 lead.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs’ lead continued to grow via a fielder’s choice that allowed the third Georgia run to get across through two and half played.
A Bulldog single to begin the fifth eventually set up a two-run shot to left-center, extending the UGA lead to 5-1. The homer knocked Quinn off the mound as he handed it over to Sam Tookoian in relief.
JT finished with a final line of 4.1 innings pitched, 5 runs off 3 hits, 4 walks and 4 Ks.
Tookoian allowed a double before issuing a walk that would predicate a move to the pen for Bianco. Sam finished with 1.2 innings of work, one hit, and a pair of Ks and walks before being replaced by Riley Maddox.
Maddox made his return following a year off after Tommy-John surgery, seeing his first action of the season for the Rebs Saturday.
Welcome back, @riley_maddox1! pic.twitter.com/dtlrmB0Xdg
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 29, 2023
The sophomore came in with a runner in scoring position and nobody out before punching out back-to-back hitters to receive a roar from the crowd in his season debut.
Mid 7 | Triumphant first inning back for @riley_maddox1, who retires three straight Dogs to escape the jam.
UGA 5, Ole Miss 3 pic.twitter.com/hx0q6WEca7
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 29, 2023
A single in the top of the eighth marked the end of Maddox’s return, however. He finished with an inning of work, one run off one hit allowed, while adding 2 strikeouts.
Maddox talked with media after the game about what it’s been like to miss so much time.
“Every part of me wanted to get out there before I did today and just help the team any way I can. But I just couldn’t…so it’s just been hard just having to watch it from the sidelines.”
Riley Maddox
Coach Bianco talked about Maddox’ commitment to the team.
“A lot of guys would say, ‘Hey, I’m just gonna take the year and go to next year.’ He said I want to help and go out there in any role that I can, I wanna help us win baseball games.”
Coach Bianco on Riley Maddox
Mitch Murrell came on in relief of Maddox out of the pen. Two outs into the eighth, Murrell allowed a single that plated a Georgia runner for whom Maddox was responsible — and that extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 6-3. The hit knocked Murrell off the mound, and he handed it over to Cole Tolbert as his replacement.
Tolbert eventually got out of the jam, but not before issuing a walk that led to another RBI single that gave UGA a comfortable 7-3 cushion after seven and a half played that proved to be the final score.
Tolbert ended his day with 1.1 innings pitched, a hit, a walk and a strikeout. Starter Quinn was credited with the loss, his first of the season.
The Bats
A couple of Rebel hits through three innings wasn’t enough to put any runs on the board. However, the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth was a 115 mph line-shot sent into the seats off the bat of Kemp Alderman to give the Rebs their first run.
End 4 | @KempAlderman goes yard to get us on the board!
UGA 3, Ole Miss 1 pic.twitter.com/EmVzfInoLG
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 29, 2023
A solo home run from @KempAlderman makes it a 3-1 ballgame in the bottom of the 4th! It came off the bat at 115 mph and traveled 370 feet! pic.twitter.com/xqqxzCCcsF
— Ole Miss BSB Analytics (@OMBSBAnalytics) April 29, 2023
After going down 5-1 in the fifth, Calvin Harris had the answer for a Rebel lineup desperately looking to score. The Ole Miss catcher followed up Ethan Lege’s bloop single with a two-run shot the opposite way to cut the Georgia lead to 5-3 after six played.
BYE-BYE 👋🏻 | @Calvin_Harris33 pic.twitter.com/0wFgI3VHtD
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 29, 2023
Despite recording more hits than UGA in the box score, the Rebel hitters struggled to knock those runners in. Ole Miss failed to issue a walk throughout the game along with only collecting one hit with runners in scoring position.
Up Next
The Rebs will return to the ballpark Sunday at 1:30 p.m. for the final game of the series against UGA. Coach Bianco has not yet name his starter for the rubber match.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
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.
