Warhawks Down: Rebels Handle Business on the Bayou, Defeat ULM for Seventh Straight Win
MONROE, La. — Riley Maddox got a quality start, Andrew Fischer came through with a clutch hit again, and the Diamond Rebs took care of business on a quick roadtrip to Louisiana, defeating Louisiana-Monroe 5-3.
The win is the seventh in a row for Ole Miss and their eleventh win in their last twelve games.
Bayou Bats Strike First
Ole Miss would go quietly in the top of the first, getting nothing but an Andrew Fischer single.
The Warhawks would come out swinging to start the home half, however. Riley Maddox gave up back-to-back singles, and then Michelle Artzberger would then rope a double down the right field line, scoring both runners. Artzberger would be thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, and Maddox would retire the next two on a groundout and a flyout, but ULM would take a 2-0 lead into the second inning.
The Rebs would threaten to start inning number two, as Treyson Hughes singled and Reagan Burford doubled, putting runners at second and third with two outs for the Rebels. But Will Furniss would hit a ground ball into the shift on the right side to end the threat and the Rebels would strand both runners.
The Warhawks would get a leadoff single in the home half of the second, but Maddox would record a popout and two groundouts to work around it. Ole Miss would then once again get two on with two out in top of the third, but Ethan Lege would ground out to end the threat, keeping the Warhawks in front 2-0.
Runners and Bunts and Chaos, Oh My!
After Riley Maddox pitched a smooth third, the Rebels would start the fourth with a Luke Hill leadoff walk. Treyson Hughes would follow with a single to put the first two aboard for Ole Miss. That’s when the inning got a little crazy. Reagan Burford would lay down a perfect bunt up the third base line, and wild throw to first would allow Luke Hill to score. Hughes would make it to third and Burford would end up at second on the play.
Sac bunt turned RBI double by @burford_reagan 🤷♂️
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— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 12, 2024
After a pitching change for the Warhawks, Bo Gatlin would pinch-hit for Will Furniss and was promptly hit by a pitch to load the bases for Eli Berch. Berch would also be hit, scoring another run to tie the game at 2-2. Andrew Fischer would bring home another with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2 Rebels, and Ole Miss had its first lead of the day.
Monroe would make yet another pitching change, and Jackson Ross would strike out to end the inning, but not before the Rebels had taken the momentum.
Warhawks Strike Back
The momentum would be short lived, however, as ULM wasted no time responding. Riley Maddox would record a strikeout to start the home fourth, but Shawn Weatherbee would follow with a 460 foot missile, tying the game at 3-3. Maddox would get a foul out and fly out after the bomb, but we had a new ballgame headed to the fifth.
Maddox Settles In, Hughes Shows Off His Cannon
With the game tied at three, the Rebs would get nothing offensively in the top of the sixth. Riley Maddox would come back out for the bottom half, and promptly gave up a leadoff double to Michelle Artzberger.
But Treyson Hughes would come to the rescue soon after. A shallow fly out into right would lead to Hughes making a sliding catch. Artzberger would try and tag up and make it to third base, but Hughes would have none of it, showing off an absolute cannon of an arm.
TREYSON HUGHES ARE YOU SERIOUS???@HughesTreyson | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/87WATiMaXw
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 12, 2024
“I go over there and I slide and catch it, and I look up and [Reagan] Burford is yelling ‘three three three’ and I was thinking no way he’s running right? And I made a heck of a throw over there and Fischer tagged him and it saved us a big inning for sure, because if the next guy hits a fly ball to right field, it’s a big thing.“
Treyson Hughes on the sliding catch double play
The sixth would be the final frame for Riley Maddox, marking a new career high for the Rebel hurler. His final line would be six complete innings, six hits, three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts on 68 pitches.
Brayden Jones would take over in the seventh.
“I thought we pitched it extremely well. I thought Riley was outstanding to start the game. Unfortunately for him, he’s a sinker-ball, groundball pitcher… three base hits that get through the infield and he gives up a couple runs… after that I thought Riley and the bullpen was terrific.”
Mike Bianco on the Ole Miss pitching against ULM
Stalemate
After the Rebs again went scoreless, Brayden Jones would pitch a clean seventh, including two strikeouts, sending the game to the eighth inning knotted at three.
Ole Miss couldn’t bring anyone home in the top of the frame, and Jones would give up a leadoff single in the home half, prompting Mike Bianco to make a pitching change, bringing in lefty Ryne Rodriguez to face left-handed batter Easton Winfield. Rodriguez would do his job in just his second appearance on the mound, getting Winfield to fly out.
Mason Nichols would then enter the game with one out and a runner at first. Eli Berch would take care of that runner on first problem quickly.
Go-ahead run erased by @EliBerch! 🚫
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— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 12, 2024
Nichols would then get a flyout to send the game to the ninth inning tied up at three apiece.
Stalemate Ended
Ethan Groff would send a double down the right field line to start the ninth, and that would set the stage for “The Big Fisch,” Andrew Fischer, to do what he does best: come through in the clutch. Fischer would smoke a deep drive into right field and then turn on the jets, ending up at third base with the go-ahead triple, giving the Rebs a 4-3 lead.
GO-AHEAD TRIPLE BY FISCH!!!@sirfischer3 | ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/qVBGtibJke
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 12, 2024
Brayden Randle would pinch-run for Fischer and score on a chopper to second by Lege, giving Ole Miss an insurance run and a 5-3 lead.
Connor Spencer would then come in and slam the door in the bottom half, giving the Rebs their seventh consecutive win and eleventh win in their last twelve games. The win moves Ole Miss to 13-5 overall as they enter conference play this weekend.
“You need games like this. You need games where you’ve gotta get them in from third or get off the field when a leadoff guy gets on; we threw two guys out at third, we threw out our first base stealer, I thought we played really well.“
Coach Mike Bianco
Looking Ahead
It’s officially showtime starting Friday. Ole Miss welcomes No. 20 South Carolina to Swayze Field this weekend for a three-game series to start SEC play. The Gamecocks entered Tuesday at 13-3, and at the time of this writing were trailing 2-1 in their midweek contest with Georgia State.
First pitch Friday is set for 6:30 PM on the SEC Network+. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for more details on that series later this week.
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.
