Extra base hits and offense, in general, were the main factors in Southern Miss’ 5-3 win over the Rebels in Hattiesburg Wednesday night.
The Golden Eagles hit three home runs, including two from Matt Wallner, and also added a double, while Grae Kessinger’s double was the only Ole Miss extra base hit. USM out-hit Ole Miss 9-5 in total, scoring in four different innings to split the season series. The Rebels won in Pearl earlier this year.
Kessinger had two hits and reached base for the 34th straight game, but not much else happened for Ole Miss at the plate. Anthony Servideo drove in the first Ole Miss run with an RBI single.
Ole Miss is 30-16 and 13-8 in the SEC. The Rebels entered the day No. 21 in the RPI, and USM is at No. 38, so it’s not a bad loss, but losses overall are a problem for the Rebels, as it pertains to the host discussion. This is Ole Miss’ eighth non-SEC loss — two more than the usual floor for nonconference games to be a positive or a neutral point on the resume.
It decreases the margin for error slightly, as Ole Miss is in a fight against metrics and other SEC teams for a regional in Oxford. An RPI ranking in the top 16 could be a prerequisite based on past history. No SEC team since 2010 has hosted a regional with a worse RPI ranking than No. 14.
Zack Phillips didn’t walk anyone and pitched around the zone, but early-season issues returned with leaving balls up and over the plate. USM hit him hard and made the most of the good swings with three of its five hits against the lefty going for extra bases.
Ole Miss threw seven different pitches on Wednesday, and Houston Roth had his best outing recently with two scoreless innings. He left the game after 27 pitches.
Both times Ole Miss tied the game USM responded immediately in the next half innings. Shutdown innings were not existent after shifts in momentum and the Rebels had no answers for JC Keyes, who was USM’s seventh pitcher of the night. Keyes struck out six of the nine batters faced and didn’t give up a hit.
Ole Miss continues a four-game road trip at LSU this weekend. The Rebels have to win at least five more SEC games to have a chance at a home regional.
Ole Miss had won five straight in the series.
The Golden Eagles hit three home runs, including two from Matt Wallner, and also added a double, while Grae Kessinger’s double was the only Ole Miss extra base hit. USM out-hit Ole Miss 9-5 in total, scoring in four different innings to split the season series. The Rebels won in Pearl earlier this year.
Kessinger had two hits and reached base for the 34th straight game, but not much else happened for Ole Miss at the plate. Anthony Servideo drove in the first Ole Miss run with an RBI single.
Ole Miss is 30-16 and 13-8 in the SEC. The Rebels entered the day No. 21 in the RPI, and USM is at No. 38, so it’s not a bad loss, but losses overall are a problem for the Rebels, as it pertains to the host discussion. This is Ole Miss’ eighth non-SEC loss — two more than the usual floor for nonconference games to be a positive or a neutral point on the resume.
It decreases the margin for error slightly, as Ole Miss is in a fight against metrics and other SEC teams for a regional in Oxford. An RPI ranking in the top 16 could be a prerequisite based on past history. No SEC team since 2010 has hosted a regional with a worse RPI ranking than No. 14.
Zack Phillips didn’t walk anyone and pitched around the zone, but early-season issues returned with leaving balls up and over the plate. USM hit him hard and made the most of the good swings with three of its five hits against the lefty going for extra bases.
Ole Miss threw seven different pitches on Wednesday, and Houston Roth had his best outing recently with two scoreless innings. He left the game after 27 pitches.
Both times Ole Miss tied the game USM responded immediately in the next half innings. Shutdown innings were not existent after shifts in momentum and the Rebels had no answers for JC Keyes, who was USM’s seventh pitcher of the night. Keyes struck out six of the nine batters faced and didn’t give up a hit.
Ole Miss continues a four-game road trip at LSU this weekend. The Rebels have to win at least five more SEC games to have a chance at a home regional.
Ole Miss had won five straight in the series.
