RALEIGH, N.C. — Bobby Wahl did what he did all year Saturday, keeping his opponent in check until the offense clicked.
The University of Mississippi baseball team used seven strong innings from Wahl and a 4-for-5 day by Austin Anderson to beat Binghamton University 8-4 in an elimination game at the NCAA Raleigh Regional at North Carolina State University.
With the victory, Wahl (10-0) became the first 10-win pitcher for the Rebels in a season since Cody Satterwhite in 2006. He allowed two runs on eight hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out two to help Ole Miss (38-23) eliminate Binghamton (30-25) and advance to face the loser of Saturday’s late game between The College of William and Mary and N.C. State.
“I’m proud of our guys; It was good to win again,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “Our hats are off to Binghamton. They played their hearts out today and through 18 innings of baseball here in this regional. Fortunately for us, we had a big leaguer going on the mound. Bobby (Wahl) really gutted it out through seven innings until our offense finally put it together.”
Jake Lambert (7-3) took the loss. He allowed four runs on nine hits. He walked none and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings.
Anderson scored a run and had an RBI to lead five Rebels with multiple hits.
Ole Miss scored two runs in the first inning. Singles from Tanner Mathis and Anderson put runners at the corners before a wild pitch brought Mathis home and moved Anderson to second. Andrew Mistone then singled to right to bring home Anderson.
Binghamton answered in the third. Zach Blanden’s double fell in fair down the right-field line and bounced sideways out of the park to put the lead-off man on second. A one-out single to right-center field two batters later brought him home and cut the lead to 2-1.
The Bearcats tied the game in the sixth, using a lead-off single and a sacrifice bunt to put Daniel Nevares in scoring position with one out. A single to shallow center put men at the corners before Jordon Smucker hit a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game.
Ole Miss moved back in front in the seventh, using an RBI single up the middle from Mathis to drive in pinch runner Cameron Dishon from third. Will Allen opened the frame with a single before Dishon came in to run for him. The freshman stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Helsel. Mathis then drove him in with the single up the middle to put the Rebels back in front 3-2.
The Rebels expanded the lead when Bousfield bunted Mathis to second and Anderson notched his fourth hit to make it 4-2.
Ole Miss loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Pinch hitter Sikes Orvis’ sacrifice fly to right scored Mistone to make it 5-2. Binghamton then intentionally walked Mathis, the second intentional walk of the inning, to load the bases for a second time and bring Bousfield to the plate with one out. The sophomore walked to make it 6-2. Anderson then delivered a ground ball to first that was misplayed and allowed two more runs to score.
Binghamton loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning before Nick Pancerella grounded into a double play that scored a run. A fielding error on a ground ball to second brought a second run home that made it to 8-4 before the Rebels would end things with a strikeout from Tanner Bailey.
n On Friday, walks and errors proved to be costly for Ole Miss in a 4-2 loss to William & Mary (38-22).
Mike Mayers (5-6) took the loss, as William & Mary capitalized on two errors and four walks to score four unearned runs in the fifth.
Jason Inghram (9-6) worked eight innings and allowed two runs on eight hits for the victory. He walked one and struck out three. Matt Wainman pitched the ninth for his 14th save.
“It’s disappointing, the way we played today,” Bianco said. “It was a tough day for Mike (Mayers) and an uncharacteristic day on the mound for him. William & Mary played hard and clean baseball. They played better than us in all three phases of the game today. We had that one inning we couldn’t get out of and that was pretty much the ballgame. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an NCAA tournament game where a team got four runs without getting a hit.”
After three quick innings, Ole Miss put runners on the corners with one out in the fourth. A squeeze attempt caught Stuart Turner in a rundown between third and home, allowing Preston Overbey and Auston Bousfield to move to second and third on the play. Ole Miss couldn’t get them home, however, as a foul fly ended the inning with two men in scoring position.
The Tribe responded in the top of the fifth, using a fielding error and a walk with one out to put two men on base. A ground ball to first put the second out on the board, but advanced both runners into scoring position. Back-to-back walks with full counts then pushed a run home to put William and Mary on the board. A second walk with the bases loaded put a second run home before another fielding error pushed the Tribe lead to 4-0 and sent Ole Miss to the bullpen for Aaron Greenwood. The right-handed reliever recorded a strikeout to get the Rebels out of the inning.
The Rebels pushed two runners into scoring position in the fifth, but the Tribe escaped damage thanks to a ground out.
Ole Miss got on the board in the sixth when Andrew Mistone scored on a ground ball to shortstop by Will Allen. Mistone singled before a one-out double from Bousfield pushed both runners into scoring position for Allen.
The Rebels added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center field by Turner that scored Mathis. Mathis reached on a single before an Austin Anderson double put two men in scoring position.
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