Rally Rebels! Ole Miss baseball comes from behind to beat No. 2 A&M in game one
OXFORD, Miss. – Behind a career night for Riley Maddox on the mound and late heroics from Jackson Ross, the Ole Miss Rebels took down the No. 3-ranked Texas A&M Aggies 4-3 in game one of the final regular-season weekend series at Swayze in 2024.
JACKSON ROSS TIE BALLGAME@Jackson_Ross55 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/MCYE8vOCoV
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
On the mound
As one of the best hitting teams top to bottom in the country, Texas A&M came in looking in the first inning as if they would back that up. After getting in some trouble early, Ole Miss Friday night starter Riley Maddox was able to get out of the first inning giving up just a single run.
Maddox got two quick outs in the following frame, as he started to settle in and fill up the strike zone. However, with two down in the inning, the Aggie nine-hole hitter hammered a pitch into the right field seats to extend the A&M lead to 2-0.
Over the next two frames, Maddox kept the Aggies scoreless, leaving three runners stranded during that span. Texas A&M did, however, string a couple of base knocks together in the top of the fifth, scoring a run to retake the lead 3-2 through four and a half played.
Four Ks and one earned run through three for @riley_maddox1
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/d9caCxpeQY
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Maddox commented on how he felt after a career night on the bump.
“I felt pretty good, probably the best I have felt all season. We worked on some delivery things this week, I am trying to be more athletic (on the mound) …new breaking ball I tried out today, I was a little worried because I did not throw pen this week because I got my wisdom teeth out on Monday. I was a little worried, but it worked pretty good today.“
~ Maddox on his career night
In his final inning of work, Maddox sat down the Aggies 1-2-3 for the first time in the game. The Rebel starter went six innings, punched out a career-high seven batters and only allowed a pair of earned runs. Wes Mendes would take over for Maddox to begin the seventh with Ole Miss still trailing 3-2.
Career-high sixth K for @riley_maddox1! 💨
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/l41bLFKzqJ
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Mendes was lights out over the next two frames despite walking a pair of Aggie batters in the seventh. The freshman struck out four over two innings of work and did not allow a run, handing things off to closer Connor Spencer in the ninth. Mendes was credited with the win on the night, just his second of the year, while Spencer recorded the save.
Four Ks through two as @mendeswes_ picks up where Maddox left off. 🔥🔥
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/KjU2uz7PR1
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Coach Bianco commented on Mendes’ performance after the game.
“We as a staff have been up and down…He was lights out last weekend and he was one of the guys that we rested on Wednesday, one of the guys we did not let go in that game for really a moment like this (tonight)…he was dominant and came in against their first three guys who are as good as any three hitters in any lineup.“
~ Coach Bianco on Mendes’ performance out of the pen
With just three outs needed for the win, Spencer looked to shut the door on the Aggies. The Rebel closer did just that, allowing a single with two down but getting the ground ball to end it and give the Rebels a huge weekend opening win.
At the plate
After leaving a runner stranded in the first frame, Judd Utermark came to the plate in the bottom of the second with intentions. With two down in the frame, the Rebel third baseman stayed back on one and took it for a ride deep into the night sky to put the Rebels on the board.
Judd with the solo jack! 🚀@JuddUtermark | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/PtK3drneue
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the third, once again the Rebels scratched across another two-out run thanks to Jackson Ross as Luke Hill raced home from second to tie things at two apiece.
Tie ballgame!@Jackson_Ross55 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/W1h9K6fn4b
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Down a run in the bottom of the night, a desperate Ole Miss lineup began to find the barrel. A single off the bat of Andrew Fischer to begin the inning proved to be the tying run as Ross tied the game once again with a double that rolled to the left field wall.
JACKSON ROSS TIE BALLGAME@Jackson_Ross55 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/MCYE8vOCoV
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Ross spoke with the media after the game following his big night.
“We knew that guy was going to be one of the best out of the bullpen. He is the guy they bring in those situations because he fills the zone with three pitches and is a really tough at-bat. I just kept battling and got to a 3-2 count, fought off a slider and the next pitch was a changeup that was up just enough to get a barrel to it. There is no better feeling than when you get to second base there.“
~ Ross on the emotions of the bottom of the 8th
Tied at three with one down in the frame, Ethan Groff nearly homered to make it a two-run game but instead, the ball would die on the warning track for a sacrifice fly as Ross trotted home from third to give the Rebels a 4-3 lead with three outs needed for the win.
REBS LEAD@ethangroff12 ➡️ @Jackson_Ross55
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/Lq5WJVNSNS— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Connor Spencer recorded three outs in the top of the ninth to close out the win.
Shutdown pitching and an 8th-inning rally led Ole Miss to an upset win over No. 2 Texas A&M on Friday night.
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 11, 2024
Up Next
Ole Miss will host the Texas A&M Aggies Saturday afternoon for game two of the series. The Rebels will look to win the weekend series starting at 4 pm CT at Swayze.
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.
