Mississippi State evened the series with a 10-7 win over Ole Miss on Friday, as the Rebels couldn’t extend or hold an early lead. The rubber game is at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Ole Miss is now 22-16 overall and 6-11 in the SEC. State is 23-17 and 7-10 in the SEC.
Somehow Ole Miss let Preston Johnson hang around for five innings. The Rebels hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start the game, as Justin Bench, Jacob Gonzalez and Tim Elko did it all on four pitches. Peyton Chatagnier added one to start the second inning, and an in all Johnson gave up nine hits, three walks and threw a wild pitch. But Ole Miss was awful at getting the hit to get him out of there and blow the game open. Ole Miss was up 4-3 after six innings, but it should have been much more. At that point, the Rebels were 0-for-6 with two outs, 1-for-14 with runners on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
The Rebels got the tying run to the plate in the ninth before Bench grounded out to end it.
In the second inning after Chatagnier’s home run, Elko and Kemp Alderman each struck out with two runners on base. In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Elko and Alderman struck out looking and swinging, respectively. In the sixth inning, after Ben Van Cleve singled the other way against the shift and Bench walked with no outs, Jacob Gonzalez hit into a somewhat unlucky double play, and Alderman flew out after MSU intentionally walked Elko
The Rebels are, to put it simply, bad at moving runners and manufacturing runs consistently. And, if we’re being honest, Dylan DeLucia’s brilliant night masked a lot of the same issues even in the win. Ole Miss only had five hits on Thursday and three of the runs came on a home run after a State error extended the inning. The opportunities were there multiple times to just put the ball in play, extend the lead and change MSU’s mindset. Instead, the Rebels let the Bulldogs hang around and paid for it.
The Rebels had 14 hits, including three from Bench, and both teams left 12 on base. MSU was 11-for-27 with runners on.
Hunter Elliott wasn’t perfect, but I, again, came away impressed with the freshman. Elliott had action all over the bases and threw 100 pitches in four innings, but he gave up just one run and twice showed a lot of fight that’s been evident throughout his three starts this season.
In the third inning, State loaded the bases with one out after a hit by pitch, single and walk, but Elliott struck out Brad Cumbest on a a full-count pitch looking and then did the same with a 2-2 pitch to Kellum Clark. An inning later, he cruised through despite his highest pitch count of the season. Throwing just 13 pitches in the inning, he picked up two strikeouts and a fly out to finish his night.
Elliott struck out six, walked two and allowed five hits against the Bulldogs. He’s been too generous with free passes this season when starting, but he’s stayed composed and limited big innings. In the three SEC starts, Elliott has allowed four earned runs in 11.1 innings, and two of those came on a misplayed fly ball against Alabama that would have ended the inning. There’s improvements to make and he’s going to get more polished, but Elliott has a lot to work with.
Riley Maddox gave up five hits and two runs in 1.2 innings before leaving the game due to injury. The freshman called for trainer Josh Porter and pointed toward his right forearm as he left the game. Mike Bianco said after the game that they believe Maddox will be OK but are expecting him to need “rehab and medicine” for the forearm discomfort. He was careful to not be specific and said he would update again in a couple days.
Chatagnier had a nice night with the home run and a bunt single against the shift. It’s his second multi-hit game since March 19.
Jack Dougherty got out of Maddox’s inning without an issue but then allowed four hits and four runs without an out in the next inning. Dougherty’s SEC ERA is 8.44 in 16 innings.
Brandon Johnson gave up three hits and three runs in an inning. He’s given up 13 earned runs in his last eight innings, taking away what was the Rebels’ most reliable bullpen arm for much of the season. Instead, there’s not a reliever who is consistent and can be counted on as an escape button when things are going poorly.
Bottom line is that Ole Miss was bad offensively and on the mound on Friday and lost a game that it should have had a comfortable lead in at the halfway point. But, on the flip side, the Rebels aren’t the team that plays quality situational baseball and moves runners consistently without the home run. In SEC play, Ole Miss has scored 101 runs and has 34 home runs. The Rebels have scored 51 of the 101 runs off home runs. That’s a damning stat, showing the inability to score if the ball stays in the park, especially of late when it’s a worse percentage than that. So, in a lot of ways, other than DeLucia’s dominance, this series has shown exactly who the Rebels are through 17 league games.
Ole Miss is now 22-16 overall and 6-11 in the SEC. State is 23-17 and 7-10 in the SEC.
Somehow Ole Miss let Preston Johnson hang around for five innings. The Rebels hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start the game, as Justin Bench, Jacob Gonzalez and Tim Elko did it all on four pitches. Peyton Chatagnier added one to start the second inning, and an in all Johnson gave up nine hits, three walks and threw a wild pitch. But Ole Miss was awful at getting the hit to get him out of there and blow the game open. Ole Miss was up 4-3 after six innings, but it should have been much more. At that point, the Rebels were 0-for-6 with two outs, 1-for-14 with runners on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
The Rebels got the tying run to the plate in the ninth before Bench grounded out to end it.
In the second inning after Chatagnier’s home run, Elko and Kemp Alderman each struck out with two runners on base. In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Elko and Alderman struck out looking and swinging, respectively. In the sixth inning, after Ben Van Cleve singled the other way against the shift and Bench walked with no outs, Jacob Gonzalez hit into a somewhat unlucky double play, and Alderman flew out after MSU intentionally walked Elko
The Rebels are, to put it simply, bad at moving runners and manufacturing runs consistently. And, if we’re being honest, Dylan DeLucia’s brilliant night masked a lot of the same issues even in the win. Ole Miss only had five hits on Thursday and three of the runs came on a home run after a State error extended the inning. The opportunities were there multiple times to just put the ball in play, extend the lead and change MSU’s mindset. Instead, the Rebels let the Bulldogs hang around and paid for it.
The Rebels had 14 hits, including three from Bench, and both teams left 12 on base. MSU was 11-for-27 with runners on.
Hunter Elliott wasn’t perfect, but I, again, came away impressed with the freshman. Elliott had action all over the bases and threw 100 pitches in four innings, but he gave up just one run and twice showed a lot of fight that’s been evident throughout his three starts this season.
In the third inning, State loaded the bases with one out after a hit by pitch, single and walk, but Elliott struck out Brad Cumbest on a a full-count pitch looking and then did the same with a 2-2 pitch to Kellum Clark. An inning later, he cruised through despite his highest pitch count of the season. Throwing just 13 pitches in the inning, he picked up two strikeouts and a fly out to finish his night.
Elliott struck out six, walked two and allowed five hits against the Bulldogs. He’s been too generous with free passes this season when starting, but he’s stayed composed and limited big innings. In the three SEC starts, Elliott has allowed four earned runs in 11.1 innings, and two of those came on a misplayed fly ball against Alabama that would have ended the inning. There’s improvements to make and he’s going to get more polished, but Elliott has a lot to work with.
Riley Maddox gave up five hits and two runs in 1.2 innings before leaving the game due to injury. The freshman called for trainer Josh Porter and pointed toward his right forearm as he left the game. Mike Bianco said after the game that they believe Maddox will be OK but are expecting him to need “rehab and medicine” for the forearm discomfort. He was careful to not be specific and said he would update again in a couple days.
Chatagnier had a nice night with the home run and a bunt single against the shift. It’s his second multi-hit game since March 19.
Jack Dougherty got out of Maddox’s inning without an issue but then allowed four hits and four runs without an out in the next inning. Dougherty’s SEC ERA is 8.44 in 16 innings.
Brandon Johnson gave up three hits and three runs in an inning. He’s given up 13 earned runs in his last eight innings, taking away what was the Rebels’ most reliable bullpen arm for much of the season. Instead, there’s not a reliever who is consistent and can be counted on as an escape button when things are going poorly.
Bottom line is that Ole Miss was bad offensively and on the mound on Friday and lost a game that it should have had a comfortable lead in at the halfway point. But, on the flip side, the Rebels aren’t the team that plays quality situational baseball and moves runners consistently without the home run. In SEC play, Ole Miss has scored 101 runs and has 34 home runs. The Rebels have scored 51 of the 101 runs off home runs. That’s a damning stat, showing the inability to score if the ball stays in the park, especially of late when it’s a worse percentage than that. So, in a lot of ways, other than DeLucia’s dominance, this series has shown exactly who the Rebels are through 17 league games.
