Ole Miss Baseball Evens Series at Rocky Top With 8-5 Win Over Volunteers in Game Two
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – (Release) No. 17 Ole Miss (17-7, 3-2 SEC) ended No. 7 Tennessee’s (20-4, 2-3 SEC) perfect season at home Saturday night with an 8-5 bounce back win over the Volunteers.
The Rebels came into the ninth inning trailing 5-4 but scored four runs to take the late lead and rally for a win in the ninth inning for the first time since March 25, 2021 at Alabama.
Liam Doyle got the start on the mound for the Rebels and struck out 10 batters for the second-straight game. He became the first Rebel since Dylan DeLucia in 2022 to post multiple double-digit strikeout games in a season. He is also the first Rebel since Doug Nikhazy in 2021 to have double-digit strikeouts in consecutive outings.
The sophomore would end up putting together his first quality start of the season, giving up three earned runs (four total) on three hits and just one walk over his six-plus innings of work.
Andrew Fischer went 2-for-3 on the night with two solo home runs, two walks, and three runs scored. It was the third baseman’s third multi-home run game of the season and fourth of his career.
Brayden Randle also chipped in with his second home run in as many games while Ethan Groff provided the go-ahead, two-RBI single in the ninth.
Fischer got Ole Miss started with a 446-foot blast to right field to put the Rebels on the board quick in the first inning.
On the mound, Doyle went three-up, three-down with all three batters striking out looking. It marked his third-consecutive start with three strikeouts in the first inning.
In the second, Tennessee struck back with a two-RBI home run to give Tennessee its first lead of the night. However, Ole Miss did not let the lead linger as Randle continued his success at Rocky Top with a solo shot home run to tie the game in the third, 2-2.
The next four innings were a pitchers’ duel as Doyle continued to throw heat, recording at least one strikeout every inning pitched. Doyle faced 22 batters on 94 pitches, only allowing three hits and two runs in his third start.
In the sixth, Fischer sent one over the scoreboard for his second home run of the night to give Ole Miss back the lead. Two singles from Ethan Lege and Ethan Groff put Ole Miss in scoring position, and a throwing error on the Volunteer catcher brought home Lege and put another run on the board for Ole Miss, 4-2.
After only one hit through six innings, Tennessee scored two runs on two hits and an error on Ole Miss to tie the game up, 4-4.
At the bottom of the eighth, Tennessee used a walk and two singles to take a 5-4 lead.
Down to their final three outs, Bo Gatlin led off the ninth inning with a walk in a pinch-hitting situation. Judd Utermark ran for Gatlin, Randle bunted him over to second, and Jackson Ross tied the game with a double to right center field.
Fischer was intentionally walked and Ethan Lege drew a walk to load the bases for Groff. The senior poked a single through the left side to make it 7-5 in favor of Ole Miss. The Rebels would tack on one more run on a Treyson Hughes RBI-groundout before going to the bottom of the inning.
Mason Nichols, who earned his third win of the season, got the first two batters to strikeout before Hunter Ensley doubled. Connor Spencer then came on to pick up the final out, earning his fifth save of the season.
The Rebels and the Volunteers will decide the series tomorrow afternoon at noon CT.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
