Andrew Fischer, Liam Doyle power Ole Miss to 12-3 win over South Carolina as Rebels clinch opening SEC series
OXFORD, Miss. – An impressive SEC debut from Liam Doyle and a three-home run day from Andrew Fischer propelled the Ole Miss baseball team to a 12-3 victory over the 20th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday, securing the series win for the Rebels.
Andrew Fischer hits three home runs as Ole Miss clinches the series over No. 20 South Carolina! pic.twitter.com/b61kahaUdH
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
“Any game in the SEC is fun to play in but a game like this with a chance to take the series against a good team…we went out there and did it today. This is why you want to be here; the crowd was awesome, and it was fun to win.“
~ Andrew Fischer on playing in these types of games
On the mound
After a solid first start a week ago, Rebel southpaw Liam Doyle got the Saturday starting nod again, making his SEC debut. The Ole Miss lefty continued to look great in his first frame against the Gamecocks, striking out three after giving up a leadoff double.
First inning in the SEC: three Ks 🔥🔥🔥@Doyle22L | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/OIPXOCcfYy
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
Over the next two frames, Doyle looked in complete control. The lefty began to find his groove, sitting down six of the next seven batters he faced in the second and third innings. With the help of a Treyson Hughes web gem, Doyle picked up his seventh punchout of the game to end the third.
The walking web gem is back 💎@HughesTreyson | SEC Network pic.twitter.com/7kyegkzGe3
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
Just as Doyle began to look dominant, the Gamecocks found the barrel in the top of the fourth. The lefty gave up a towering solo shot that went into the right-field bullpen to lead off the first. Maintaining his composure, Doyle limited the damage to hold onto a 2-1 Ole Miss lead through four innings of work.
South Carolina continued to keep their bats rolling in the fifth, starting off the frame with a base knock to flip the lineup over. Doyle then gave up a two-run shot to right field that gave the Gamecocks a 3-2 lead after the top of the fifth.
After issuing a one-out walk in the top of the sixth, freshman Wes Mendes was called out of the pen to take over for the starter.
Doyle finished his SEC debut with 5.1 innings of work, three runs allowed, one walk and 10 Ks. The Ole Miss starter was credited with the win today, his second of the season.
Doyle had a chance to tell the media about his performance in the postgame.
“I felt pretty good. I wanted to finish that sixth inning, I got to be able to do that as a starter. But a lot of strikes thrown, a lot of weak contact; gave up a few hits and the homeruns, just missed some spots so I have to get better there…I felt confident, I had a great defense behind me today and great offense to back me up too.“
~ Liam Doyle on his performance in game two
Double-digit Ks in @Doyle22L‘s first SEC start 🔟
5.1 IP
6 H
3 R
1 BB
10 K pic.twitter.com/Uv7viceozN— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
Right away the Gamecock lineup attacked Mendes as the Rebel reliever gave up a single to the first batter he faced. However, the lefty sat down the next two he faced, getting the Rebels out of it and holding on to a 4-3 lead.
Coach Mike Bianco spoke about Mendes’ outing after the game.
“You talk about Doyle, you talk about Fischer, but some of the things that get lost in this coming in during the sixth, freshman, runner on with the winning run coming to the plate and he still gets us off the field. He was terrific, looked really well.“
~ Coach Bianco on Mendes coming out of the bullpen
Mendes recorded the first out of the top of the seventh but could not get anymore. Josh Mallitz was then called out of the pen with two runners on and one out, and the ‘shutdown’ reliever quickly got out of it to keep the one-point lead through seven.
Mallitz found himself in a little bit of trouble in the top of the eighth. The Rebel reliever allowed a leadoff single and then issued a walk. A fly ball to right put runners on the corners and that is where Mallitz left them, getting the punchout to hold onto the one-point Ole Miss lead.
Double-digit Ks in @Doyle22L‘s first SEC start 🔟
5.1 IP
6 H
3 R
1 BB
10 K pic.twitter.com/Uv7viceozN— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
After an explosion on offense for the Rebels in the bottom of the eighth, Mason Morris came on in place of Mallitz to begin the ninth in an attempt to secure the series win for Ole Miss. Morris cruised through the frame to lock up the big win for the Rebels.
At the plate
Coming off a slow start at the dish in game one of the series, the Rebels looked to get busy with the bats early in this one. Right away Ethan Groff led off the bottom of the first with a blooper down the right-field line for a double. A groundout eventually moved the centerfielder over third, which allowed Jackson Ross to knock in a quick and early run for Ole Miss.
Early lead courtesy of @Jackson_Ross55
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/dERjCEIJqd
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
The bats for the Rebels were active early as the common theme of walks drawn looked to be out of the equation early in this one. With one out, third baseman Andrew Fischer looked to add to the Ole Miss lead, and that he did. A solo blast to right stayed fair, giving Ole Miss a 2-0 lead through three played
Man Hits Ball Far @sirfischer3 | SEC Network pic.twitter.com/CCiHA11Mu7
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
“He’s always impressive. He’s a special talent and bring so much energy…a lot of power, he’s a guy who can really get some good swings off. He is one of the left-handers that when we use a right-handed lineup, he is the one left-hander that stays in.“
~ Coach Bianco on Fischer’s performance
After giving up the lead in the top of the fifth, the Rebel lineup had work to do. With one out, Groff came to the plate with intentions; eventually lining one into the left-field bullpen to tie things at three apiece. Fischer, however, did not think one was enough. The Rebel power-hitter launched his second homer of the game to center to give Ole Miss the lead back, 4-3 though five played.
BACK-TO-BACK @ethangroff12 x @sirfischer3 pic.twitter.com/nYtKidZEKN
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
Despite having the lead, Ole Miss had just seven hits to South Carolina’s nine heading into the eighth, while also not finding success drawing walks as the Rebs usually do. Ethan Lege would fly out to lead off the inning, but after that, it was nothing but barrels on baseballs for the Rebel lineup.
Three RBI singles from Hughes, Berch and Groff added four runs for Ole Miss which made it 8-3 but the Rebels were not done there.
CLUTCH@HughesTreyson | SEC Network pic.twitter.com/2wR9vFRVsc
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
With still just one out, the showers in right field began as Fischer crushed another home run to deep into the stands. It was his third of the game, a three-run shot that put Ole Miss in double-digit runs.
Just when it looked like that was all, the lineup turned over and Lege came back to the plate to blast a solo shot to right-center field, making it 12-3 Ole Miss heading to the ninth.
THIRD HOMER OF THE DAY FOR ANDREW FISCHER
🤯 @sirfischer3 pic.twitter.com/jMwtf2SDQ5
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
Fifth homer of the season for @_ethanlege, dozen runs for the Rebs 🤯
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/NH5fF6VFvY
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 16, 2024
After the game, Fischer took the time to talk about his day and assess the Rebel offense.
“I’ve been seeing the ball well all weekend, so props to our hitting coaches for doing such a good job all week of preparing us for this series…this whole weekend I felt like I have faced all these guys 100 times before, but I am actually seeing them for the first time out there. That’s just how prepared we are…an eight-run eighth inning for us there kind of makes a statement that we are not okay with a 4-3 victory.”
~ Fischer on his performance at the plate today
Up Next
The Diamond Rebels will try for the sweep tomorrow against the South Carolina Gamecocks after winning the series today. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 pm CT at Swayze Field. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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.
