AUBURN, Ala. – Tyler Keenan and Cole Zabowski both went yard, and Parker Caracci was as electric as ever, closing out a crucial 5-3 victory as No. 11 Ole Miss evened the series at No. 23 Auburn.
Zabowski's home run in the second ensured that Ole Miss would never trail on Friday night at Plainsman Park, and Keenan's bomb in the ninth gave the Rebels more than enough insurance in the win.
Freshman left-hander Doug Nikhazy turned in 5.0 innings of work with three runs allowed on just five hits to earn his fourth win of the season, while Caracci pitched a near-flawless final two innings to secure his eighth save. Caracci allowed just one hit and struck out the final four batters he faced to seal the deal on the Plains.
Zabowski opened up the scoring in the top half of the second inning, sending a monster shot off the scoreboard in left field to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. The homer was Zabowski's ninth of the year, tying him with Keenan and Thomas Dillard for the team lead at the time, though Keenan later pulled back ahead. It also extended his team-best hitting streak to 14 games.
Auburn matched that in the bottom half when Conor Davis hit a nearly identical home run off the scoreboard to knot the game back at one.
Ole Miss quickly reclaimed the lead in the third. Anthony Servideo started the frame with a leadoff walk, and the Rebels loaded the bases with a Keenan walk and a hit-by-pitch for Dillard. Zabowski sent Servideo home on a fielder's choice, and Kevin Graham made it a 3-1 lead, chopping a base hit over the first baseman's head.
In the fourth, Birmingham, Alabama, native Josh Hall notched his first career triple playing back in his home state. Unfortunately, the Rebels couldn't bring the freshman home.
Auburn got one run back in the bottom half of the fourth on a two-out solo home run by Will Holland. Nikhazy got right back on track though, escaping the inning without any further damage. He then came through with a six-pitch, one-two-three inning in the fifth to preserve the Rebel lead.
Ole Miss added one more to that lead in the sixth when Servideo sent a shot to center to bring Cooper Johnson home from second base. The Rebels later loaded the bases with two outs but couldn't add to the tally.
Once again, the Tigers cut it right back to one with a solo home run, the second of the game for Davis. After Davis' home run, the Rebels turned to Austin Miller out of the bullpen. The junior out of North Liberty, Iowa, pitched a near-perfect two innings, allowing just two baserunners—one on a walk and one on an error—but allowed no runs and struck out two to bridge the gap.
Caracci then came on in the eighth to shut it down. He allowed one base hit at the end of a 14-pitch at-bat in the eighth, but he worked through it with a pop-out, flyout and strikeout to end the eight.
Keenan then led off the ninth, punctuating an 11-hit effort by the Rebel offense with a monster home run out to right field, giving Caracci a two-run cushion. As it turned out, the Rebel closer didn't need it, as the struck out the side in the ninth to secure the victory.
Ole Miss and Auburn will decide the series at 1 p.m. CT Saturday night. Freshman Gunnar Hoglund will take the hill for the Rebels.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss improved to 27-13 on the season and 10-7 in SEC play.
- The win was No. 737 for head coach Mike Bianco in his tenure at Ole Miss, moving him one behind South Carolina's Ray Tanner for the third-most in SEC history.
- Grae Kessinger extended his reached-base streak to 28 games. He has hits in 13 of his last 15 games.
- Cole Zabowski extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He has five home runs in that span. That 14-game streak is one shy of Thomas Dillard's 15-game streak for the longest by a Rebel this season.
- Tyler Keenan hit his 10th home run of the season to take the lead in the clubhouse home run race after Zabowski made it a three-way tie at nine earlier in the game.
- Keenan now has 50 RBI on the season, which leads the SEC.
- Josh Hall hit his first career triple, giving Ole Miss seven on the season, more than it had all of last year.
- Kessinger snapped a streak of 16 straight games without an error.
- Parker Caracci has now gone eight straight outings and 13.1 straight innings without allowing a run. He has 19 strikeouts and just three walks in that span.
- Caracci now has 18 career saves, moving him to a tie for sixth all-time with Scott Bittle.
- Austin Miller turned in his fourth straight scoreless outing. Miller has gone 7.2 straight innings without allowing a run, giving up just one hit and two walks in that span while striking out 11. He now has 13 scoreless outings this season
Zabowski's home run in the second ensured that Ole Miss would never trail on Friday night at Plainsman Park, and Keenan's bomb in the ninth gave the Rebels more than enough insurance in the win.
Freshman left-hander Doug Nikhazy turned in 5.0 innings of work with three runs allowed on just five hits to earn his fourth win of the season, while Caracci pitched a near-flawless final two innings to secure his eighth save. Caracci allowed just one hit and struck out the final four batters he faced to seal the deal on the Plains.
Zabowski opened up the scoring in the top half of the second inning, sending a monster shot off the scoreboard in left field to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. The homer was Zabowski's ninth of the year, tying him with Keenan and Thomas Dillard for the team lead at the time, though Keenan later pulled back ahead. It also extended his team-best hitting streak to 14 games.
Auburn matched that in the bottom half when Conor Davis hit a nearly identical home run off the scoreboard to knot the game back at one.
Ole Miss quickly reclaimed the lead in the third. Anthony Servideo started the frame with a leadoff walk, and the Rebels loaded the bases with a Keenan walk and a hit-by-pitch for Dillard. Zabowski sent Servideo home on a fielder's choice, and Kevin Graham made it a 3-1 lead, chopping a base hit over the first baseman's head.
In the fourth, Birmingham, Alabama, native Josh Hall notched his first career triple playing back in his home state. Unfortunately, the Rebels couldn't bring the freshman home.
Auburn got one run back in the bottom half of the fourth on a two-out solo home run by Will Holland. Nikhazy got right back on track though, escaping the inning without any further damage. He then came through with a six-pitch, one-two-three inning in the fifth to preserve the Rebel lead.
Ole Miss added one more to that lead in the sixth when Servideo sent a shot to center to bring Cooper Johnson home from second base. The Rebels later loaded the bases with two outs but couldn't add to the tally.
Once again, the Tigers cut it right back to one with a solo home run, the second of the game for Davis. After Davis' home run, the Rebels turned to Austin Miller out of the bullpen. The junior out of North Liberty, Iowa, pitched a near-perfect two innings, allowing just two baserunners—one on a walk and one on an error—but allowed no runs and struck out two to bridge the gap.
Caracci then came on in the eighth to shut it down. He allowed one base hit at the end of a 14-pitch at-bat in the eighth, but he worked through it with a pop-out, flyout and strikeout to end the eight.
Keenan then led off the ninth, punctuating an 11-hit effort by the Rebel offense with a monster home run out to right field, giving Caracci a two-run cushion. As it turned out, the Rebel closer didn't need it, as the struck out the side in the ninth to secure the victory.
Ole Miss and Auburn will decide the series at 1 p.m. CT Saturday night. Freshman Gunnar Hoglund will take the hill for the Rebels.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss improved to 27-13 on the season and 10-7 in SEC play.
- The win was No. 737 for head coach Mike Bianco in his tenure at Ole Miss, moving him one behind South Carolina's Ray Tanner for the third-most in SEC history.
- Grae Kessinger extended his reached-base streak to 28 games. He has hits in 13 of his last 15 games.
- Cole Zabowski extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He has five home runs in that span. That 14-game streak is one shy of Thomas Dillard's 15-game streak for the longest by a Rebel this season.
- Tyler Keenan hit his 10th home run of the season to take the lead in the clubhouse home run race after Zabowski made it a three-way tie at nine earlier in the game.
- Keenan now has 50 RBI on the season, which leads the SEC.
- Josh Hall hit his first career triple, giving Ole Miss seven on the season, more than it had all of last year.
- Kessinger snapped a streak of 16 straight games without an error.
- Parker Caracci has now gone eight straight outings and 13.1 straight innings without allowing a run. He has 19 strikeouts and just three walks in that span.
- Caracci now has 18 career saves, moving him to a tie for sixth all-time with Scott Bittle.
- Austin Miller turned in his fourth straight scoreless outing. Miller has gone 7.2 straight innings without allowing a run, giving up just one hit and two walks in that span while striking out 11. He now has 13 scoreless outings this season
