OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco made a decision to start the NCAA Regional with a different pitcher and it blew up Friday night.
The Rebels’ postseason aspirations took a major hit in a 9-6 loss to Murray State in the opening round of the Oxford Regional at Swayze Field. The loss sends the No. 10 national seed Ole Miss (40-20) into the loser’s bracket, where they must now win out to keep their season alive.
Early Trouble for the Rebels
The night began inauspiciously for Ole Miss as Murray State’s Jonathan Hogart hammered the first pitch of the game over the right-center fence, immediately putting the Racers on top.
Rebels’ starter Riley Maddox struggled to find any rhythm, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks in just three innings of work.
By the end of the second inning, Ole Miss found themselves in a 4-0 hole. It proved to be too deep to dig out of.
“We went for it, obviously, and shot a lot of bullets at (Murray State) tonight and they had an answer for everybody,” Coach Mike Bianco said of the decision to start Maddox over ace Hunter Elliott.
That’s not an uncommon move these days. Coaches want to preserve top arms for later games.
“Once we decided we were going with Riley the decision was we’ll do whatever we need to do to win the game,” Bianco said. “In this format you got to win the first two to have an advantage. So we went for it tonight and unfortunately we weren’t good enough”.
Rebels’ Offense Shows Signs of Life
Despite the early deficit, Ole Miss battled back. Judd Utermark launched a three-run homer in the third inning, cutting the Racers’ lead to 4-3 and injecting life into the home crowd.
Campbell Smithwick followed with a solo shot in the fourth, tying the game at four. Luke Hill’s RBI single later in the inning gave the Rebels a brief 5-4 lead, their only advantage of the night.
Murray State, however, refused to fold. The Racers reclaimed the lead in the fifth and added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
Dustin Mercer was a standout for Murray State, collecting four doubles and driving in three runs, while Hogart finished with three hits and three runs scored.
Pitching Woes and Missed Opportunities
Ole Miss’s bullpen, which had been dominant in the SEC Tournament, faltered against the Racers’ bats.
Mason Morris, Gunnar Dennis, and Will McCausland all saw action, but Murray State continued to find answers at the plate. McCausland was tagged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth.
Defensive miscues and missed opportunities also plagued the Rebels.
“We just didn’t capitalize on the mistakes the pitchers made today,” Utermark said later. “We did not play great defense behind our pitchers and it’s frustrating. We know we can bounce back and win tomorrow..”
Season on the Brink
With the loss, Ole Miss now faces a must-win elimination game against Western Kentucky (46-14) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Hilltoppers are coming off a 9-2 loss to Georgia Tech in their own regional opener.
The Rebels will need to win three straight games to reach a winner-take-all final on Monday.
The defeat is a stark contrast to Ole Miss’s strong showing in the SEC Tournament, where they allowed just six runs over four games.
The Rebels’ offense, which had been quiet in Hoover, managed six runs but could not keep pace with the Racers’ relentless attack.
Looking Ahead
Ole Miss’s path forward is steep, but not impossible. But now the season is hanging in the balance.
