Ole Miss players celebrate Kennedy Bunker's third inning, solo home run against No. 13 Texas A&M. | Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss players celebrate Kennedy Bunker's third inning, solo home run against No. 13 Texas A&M. | Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Rallies Back but Can’t Finish in 7-5 Loss to Texas A&M

BY Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss has made a habit of hanging around in games they probably shouldn’t, and Saturday was another one of those afternoons.

The Rebels fell 7-5 to No. 13 Texas A&M, but the story wasn’t about getting outclassed. It was about a team that dug itself a hole, climbed all the way out of it, and then couldn’t quite finish the job.

For a while, it looked like the day might get away from them early. Texas A&M pushed across a run in the first, then dropped a four‑spot in the third, capped by a three‑run homer that felt like a gut punch.

Down 5-1, the Rebels could’ve folded. Instead, they went to work.

Cassie Reasner started the scoring with a solo shot in the second, and Kennedy Bunker answered Texas A&M’s big inning with a first‑pitch homer of her own in the third.

Even then, Ole Miss left runners in scoring position and missed a chance to really swing the momentum. But the fourth inning changed everything.

Ryan Starr singled, Mackenzie Pickens ripped a two‑out RBI double, and then Persy Llamas jumped on a mistake and tied the game with a no‑doubt two‑run homer. Suddenly it was 5-5, and the stadium had some life again.

The problem was that the Aggies didn’t stay quiet for long. The fifth inning turned messy.

Too many walks, a collision on the bases, and a grounder that somehow brought home two runs. It wasn’t a loud inning, but it was enough to tilt the game back Texas A&M’s way.

From there, Ole Miss kept giving itself chances. Emilee Boyer settled in and kept the Aggies off the board the rest of the way.

The Rebels put the tying run in scoring position in the seventh after a Llamas single and a Madi George walk. They were one swing away from stealing the game. Instead, Texas A&M ended it with a back‑pick at second, a tough way for a rally to die.

Ole Miss outhit the Aggies. They hit three home runs. They erased a four‑run deficit. They just couldn’t land the last punch.

Now the series comes down to Sunday at 1 p.m. The Rebels have shown they can go toe‑to‑toe with a top‑15 team. The next step is figuring out how to finish one.

HOTTYTODDY.COM HEADLINES