MOBILE, Ala. – Zach Miller came up with a sac fly in the seventh to score Logan Power from third, as sixth-ranked Ole Miss (1-0) defeated Liberty (0-1) by a score of 6-5 at the Coca Cola Classic on Friday. It was the first game of the day in the weekend event at South Alabama.

Jake Morgan (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Rebels as he worked 2.0 innings with one run on one hit and three strikeouts. Aaron Barrett picked up the start and worked a solid 5.0 innings with four runs on six hits, but stuck out seven and only walked one. Scott Bittle picked up the save as he worked the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one in 1.0 inning of work.

Liberty starter Dustin Umberger (0-1) suffered the loss as he gave up six runs on eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

“This was a really good college baseball game,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “Liberty played hard and really swung the bat and you have to give them credit for putting that third inning together. But, I thought Aaron Barrett was really dominant despite the four runs. He gave us a chance to win out there.”

Ole Miss got on the board in the first inning when Matt Smith singled to right field, scoring Jordan Henry from second and moving Michael Hubbard to third. Henry reached on an infield single to short before stealing second. Hubbard then reached on a walk before the Smith single. Logan Power then homered to left field, clearing the bases and giving Ole Miss a 4-0 lead.

Liberty tied things in the third with a four run explosion that matched the Rebels first inning. Matt Williams reached on a single before scoring three batters later on a single from P.J. Jimenez that left two men on base. Jeff Jefferson then hit a three-run shot to left field to knot things at four.

The Rebels pushed back into the lead in the fifth when Logan Power scored from second on a single through the right side from Evan Button. Power reached when he was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a David Phillips walk. Button’s single then scored Power to give Ole Miss a 5-4 lead.

Liberty responded in the sixth, however, as the Flames added an unearned run on a double to right center from Tyler Bream that pushed Errol Hollinger across the plate. Hollinger reached on a fielding error before scoring for the Flames to tie the score at five.

After a Power single opened the bottom half of the seventh, Liberty went to the bullpen for Steven Evans. The Rebels inserted Taylor Hashman into the lineup as the designated hitter to match up with the left-handed Evans. Hashman fell behind in the count 0-2 before drawing four straight balls to put two men on board for the Rebels. A double steal then put two men in scoring position for Zach Miller. Miller then gave the Rebels the lead with a sac fly to left field.

David Goforth entered to pitch the eighth and recorded two strikeouts and a groundout to short to keep the Rebels in the lead heading to the bottom of the eighth.

Bittle then closed out the game for the Rebels, picking up his first save of the season as he worked the ninth and held the Flames to only one hit and struck out one.

Ole Miss will return to action at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday when the Rebels take on the Mercer Bears.