March 30, 2011

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Rebels took an early lead, but couldn’t hold off the Golden Eagles in extra-innings as Ole Miss (18-8) fell to No. 20 Southern Miss (19-5) by a score of 4-3 on Wednesday night at Pete Taylor Park.

Ole Miss scored three runs in the first three innings, but Southern Miss chipped away at the lead before claiming the win in extra-innings on an error that allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate.

Blair Wright (0-1) suffered the loss as he allowed one run on one hit in 0.2 innings of work. Wright entered the game to start the 10th and left with two outs and a man on first. That runner would go on to score the go-ahead run for the Golden Eagles.

Collin Cargill (2-1) picked up the relief win as he worked the final 1.1 innings, holding the Rebels to two hits with a strikeout.

“It was a good college ball game, although it’s disappointing to not get the win,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “We had opportunities to get the lead back in the top of the 10th, but they made the plays. We have to execute better and make the play when we get the opportunity.”

Southern Miss got on the board first, pushing a run across the plate in the first inning when Isaac Rodriquez came up with a single to left that scored Tyler Koelling from second. Koelling reached on a walk before moving to second on a walk of B.A. Vollmuth to set up the score on the Rodriguez hit.

Ole Miss responded in the second when Preston Overbey doubled down the left field line to score Matt Snyder from first. Snyder drew a leadoff walk before coming home on the Overbey hit to even the score at one.

The Rebels took the lead in the third inning, scoring two runs to move out in front of the Golden Eagles 3-1. Tanner Mathis scored on a sac fly to right field from Matt Smith that advanced Alex Yarbrough to third. The Rebel sophomore then scored when Overbey came up with his second RBI double of the night to put Ole Miss on top by two runs.

Kameron Brunty hit a solo shot to open the fifth inning for the Golden Eagles and cut the lead to one run at 3-2.

Southern Miss tied things at three with a two-out single from Koelling that scored Brunty from second in the seventh inning. Brunty reached on a single to left and advanced to second on the throw to third that got the lead runner out.

Both teams had chances down the stretch, but neither could convert as the game went into extra innings.

Ole Miss put men on in the 10th, but a play at third and a play at the plate prevented the Rebels from scoring on two separate plays in the additional frame.

Southern Miss then grabbed the win in the bottom half of the inning when pinch runner Travis Creel scored from first on a fielding error in left on the two-out fly ball from Adam Doleac. Creel ran for Rodriguez who reached on a single to center in the at bat prior to Doleac.

Ole Miss continues to play on the road, facing No. 17 LSU this weekend in a three-game series in Baton Rouge, La. Game one of the series is set for 7 p.m. on Friday at Alex Box Stadium.