Ole Miss first baseman Will Furniss reacts during a SEC game against No. 15 Kentucky. | Dylan Cohron, HottyToddy.com Images
Ole Miss first baseman Will Furniss reacts during a SEC game against No. 15 Kentucky. | Dylan Cohron, HottyToddy.com Images

No. 18 Ole Miss Slips Up in Memphis as Bats Go Quiet Again

BY Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss walked straight into a trap in its first game back as a consensus top-25 team.

The No. 18 Rebels had just taken a weekend series from then-No. 15 Kentucky in Oxford, and another massive series loomed with No. 6 Mississippi State coming to Swayze Field.

But first came a midweek trip to Memphis, the same team Ole Miss beat 7-1 earlier this season, only this time it was a road game.

If you’re looking for the perfect setup for a trap-game stumble, that’s it, and Memphis took full advantage to win 6-2.

At the Plate

It feels like this keeps becoming the same story, but the Rebels’ inability to cash in scoring chances cost them another game. Ole Miss finished with only four hits and stranded nine runners, and the numbers with traffic on the bases were even worse: 0-for-11 with runners on, including 0-for-6 in scoring position and 0-for-2 with the bases loaded.

Both of those bases-loaded chances came in the seventh. Daniel Pacella grounded out to third, and after a two-out walk reloaded the bases, Tristan Bissetta struck out swinging on a full count.

Ole Miss tried to mount something in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out while trailing 6-2. But a routine fly ball to center didn’t move either runner, and Bissetta struck out for the second time to end the night.

Three of the Rebels’ best hitters (Bissetta, Judd Utermark and Will Furniss) went hitless against Memphis, not exactly the tone-setter you want heading into a weekend series that carries more weight than just wins and losses.

On the Mound

It’s always easy to nitpick a coaching decision after the fact. We know the outcome, and that hindsight puts a filter over everything.

So, it’s not that leaving Owen Kelly in to start the fourth inning was some obvious mistake. He’d just thrown a clean, three-up, three-down frame. But when Memphis punched back with two runs to take the lead, it became clear a change was needed.

Would an earlier move have changed anything? Maybe. Maybe not. All we can judge is what actually happened, and what happened wasn’t great.

Kelly looked sharp until the fourth, finishing with three strikeouts, no walks, five hits and two runs allowed. Terry Hayes Jr. surrendered a two-run homer, and Owen Hancock gave up a big solo shot in the eighth that pushed the score to 5-2.

With a couple exceptions, Ole Miss didn’t turn to its best relievers. That likely says more about the weekend ahead than anything else, which is the Rebels want their top arms fully rested.

Pitching Decisions

  • WP: Jacob Dienes (1-0), 2 BB, 1 K, 26 TP, 13 ST
  • LP: Owen Kelly (1-1), 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 HP, 76 TP, 50 ST

Ole Miss Batting Leaders

  • Collin Reuter: 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Hayden Federico: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 K
  • Dom Decker: 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP

Next Up

The Rebels will get to stay in Oxford for their next SEC series and that may be a good thing considering the records being set at Dudy Noble Field.

Ole Miss will host No. 6 Mississippi State for a three-game series starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs come into the series after a red-hot night at the plate in a 12-0 win against No. 11 Southern Miss.

But there is some intrigue around the status of Mississippi State’s Friday night starter, Ryan McPherson. He left his last outing against Vanderbilt after four innings and 65 pitches thrown. His availability is still unknown.

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