The Ole Miss Rebels (10-1) defeated the Central Florida Knights with back-to-back extra inning walk-off wins. Senior Will Allen breaks a 4-4 tie with a walk-off homerun shot to dead center to win by the score of 5-4 in the bottom of the tenth inning.
Allen discussed his game-winning at-bat of the day against Central Florida.
“Ever since I have been here coach Bianco has told me if I get a three and O green light don’t be afraid to swing,” Allen said. “He has also told me, if you see it, swing. We are not going to be mad if you pop out three and O or hit a pop fly three and two.”
Central Florida jumped out on the Rebels’ starter, Christian Trent, early by scoring one run in the top of the first.
After the top of the first, Trent, settled in for the next three frames not allowing a Knight run to come into score.
UCF’s shortstop, Tommy Williams, hit his third homerun of the season in top of the fifth inning. Williams’s homerun was a deep two run blast to left field, putting the Knights on top of the Rebels by the score of 3-0.
It did not take Ole Miss long to answer the two-run spot that the Knights put up in the fifth as they put up four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Braxton Lee got everything started with a single before Auston Bousfield followed by successfully laying down a bunt for a base hit. Austin Anderson singled to left scoring Lee from third base. Will Allen drives the ball to the wall in right-center for a two RBI double. Allen would be brought home by a groundout to the right side of the infield to give Ole Miss the go ahead lead at 4-3.
Coach Mike Bianco on how his team has played.
“So proud on how tough they have played and how confident they are late in the game and different hero and of course Will’s big home run tonight,” Bianco said. “We don’t get there if we don’t get a great couple of innings from Tark (Tarkington) and Short.”
The Knights tied the game back up at four in the top of the eighth, by a single, hit-by-pitch, wild pitch and an RBI ground out.
Trent worked 7.1 innings, only allowing four runs on six hits. Seven of UCF’s batters fell victim strikeouts by Trent.
Coach Bianco brought to the mound Preston Tarkington and Wyatt Short to pitch for the Rebels in relief of Trent. Tarkington only pitched two-thirds of an inning giving up a hit in the top of the ninth, one walk and a strike out.
Short came in and pitched remarkably out of the bullpen in two innings of work, not allowing a hit and striking out three batters. He picked up his second win on the season in Saturday’s game.
Central Florida’s starter, Spencer Davis, gave up four runs on nine hits while pitching 4.1 innings. Davis was able to strike out three batters and only allowed one walk.
Game three between the Rebels and the Knights is set for Sunday at Noon.
–Adam Brown, Sports Editor HottyToddy.com
Ole Miss Wins Series Over UCF In Extra Innings
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