March 5, 2013

Box Score

OXFORD, Miss. – Austin Anderson hit his first home run of the season as the Rebels continued to be opportunistic on offense, using five hits as No. 7 Ole Miss (12-1) shutout Southeastern Louisiana (8-3) by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday.

With five hits on the night from five different Rebels, Ole Miss continued to find ways to win, pushing home runs in the fourth and sixth innings while the pitching staff continued to hold opposing offenses in check.

Josh Laxer (1-0) picked up the win, working 5.1 innings and allowing only four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Four Rebel pitchers combined in the shutout with Matt Denny and Tanner Bailey each taking the mound before Brett Huber picked up his fifth save of the season.

Kyle Cedotal (2-2) took the loss allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts across 5.0 innings of work.

“It was a terrific pitching performance by us today,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “(Josh) Laxer had his best outing of the year. (Matt) Denny and (Tanner) Bailey did what they have done all year long, which is really attack the strike zone in relief. (Brett) Huber had a little more difficulty than normal in the ninth. Of course he strikes out the four-hole guy and the last guy to end the game. It was a nice game, and a pretty clean game by us defensively.”

The Rebels pushed the first run home in the fourth inning, manufacturing a run out of the opportunity created when Tanner Mathis was hit by a pitch to open the frame. Anderson lay down a sac bunt to move Mathis to second before a Stuart Turner double to left field would bring him home and put Ole Miss on the board.

Anderson extended the lead in the sixth inning hitting a lead-off home run to right field to push the lead out to 2-0 in favor of the Rebels.

The Anderson home run answered what was perhaps the best scoring opportunity of the game for the visiting Lions in the top half of the inning. Following a one-out double from Jesse Buratt, the Rebels went to the bullpen for freshman left-hander Matt Denny to face the heart of the Southeastern Louisiana order.

Buratt took third on a sac bunt from the Lions’ best hitter in Harry Slade, before the Rebels would intentionally walk Aaron Haag to put men at the corners with two outs. Denny then got Jameson Fisher to ground out to second on a groundout to second, ending the scoring threat.

The two teams will return to action on Wednesday when the Rebels and Lions will tangle at 11 a.m. in Ole Miss’ inaugural School Day Game at Swayze Field. As a part of the event, area students will be admitted to the game to experience Southeastern Conference baseball at Ole Miss.