OXFORD — Scoring 14 runs in the first two innings, the Ole Miss baseball team defeated Central Arkansas 18-4 on Tuesday at Swayze Field.
The 18 runs were a season high for the Rebels (21-20), who kicked off a five-game homestand with a win against the Bears (19-15).
Every Rebel in the starting lineup tallied at least one hit, one run, and one RBI. The feat was accomplished by the fifth inning, marking what is believed to be the first time in Ole Miss history, according to the archives.
Leadoff hitter Connor Cloyd paced Ole Miss with four hits, three runs, and three RBIs, all personal bests. J.B. Woodman recorded a career-best four hits and four runs. Woodman also blasted a two-run home run, his fifth of the season. Will Golsan tied a career high with his fourth three-hit night. Along with a pinch-hit single by Kyle Watson, the one through three hitters went 12-for-17.
Colby Bortles, Sikes Orvis, and Henri Lartigue had two hits. Junior Cameron Dishon added his first triple of the season, as the Rebels pounded five hits for extra bases.
“I thought we got good swing after good swing, and like they say, hitting is contagious,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said.
Working on a pitch count, Mitchel Babb (2-0) collected the victory in his first career start. The junior went four innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks. Matt Denny worked four innings of relief and only surrendered one run, while senior Scott Ashford struck out two in a scoreless ninth-inning appearance.
Ole Miss will play host Memphis at 6:30 tonight (SEC Network +). It will be Star Wars Night at Swayze Field.
n Southern Mississippi 9, Louisiana-Monroe 3: At Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles (22-14-1) scored all of their runs in the sixth and eighth innings Tuesday night in their non-conference victory at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
The Golden Eagles (22-14-1) scored four times in the sixth and five more times in the eighth as they took advantage of eight walks and nine hits.
After falling behind 2-0 on a solo home run by Nathan Pugh — his third — in the second, and on a wild pitch in the fourth, the Golden Eagles got on the board quickly in the sixth.
Entering that frame, the Golden Eagles had just two hits and Connor Barron hit the 1-0 pitch from Payton Coddou over the right-center field wall for his team-best tying fifth homer of the year.
“Connor’s home run kind of broke the ice for us,” Southern Miss Scott Berry said. “Up to that point, we really didn’t have very good at-bats, but Connor hit that ball really well and that got us going.”
Michael Sterling then was hit by a pitch and Dylan Burdeaux flew out, before the Golden Eagles got consecutive hits from Matt Durst, Tim Lynch and Chase Scott. Lynch drove in a run, while Austin Roussel and Nick Dawson also plated a run each on bases loaded walks.
ULM designated hitter Cody Stone cut the gap to 4-3 with an RBI single in the seventh, but the home squad put the game out of reach one inning later.
Warhawk reliever Conner Fiasco started the eighth with three straight walks and was relieved by Matthew Reeves who immediately allowed a bases loaded walk to Connor Barron. After Sterling knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly, Burdeaux plated a run with a single to left. Matt Durst then added a run-scoring single before Lynch finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly of his own.
Connor O’Brien the third of six Golden Eagle pitchers, collected the victory and improved to 1-0 on the year as he allowed a run on a hit with a walk over 1 2/3 innings of work.
Coddou (1-1) suffered the loss for the Warhawks (20-20) as he gave up three runs on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
The Golden Eagles return to action when they travel to San Antonio this weekend for a Conference USA series. Game times are set for 6 p.m., Friday, for 2 p.m., Saturday, and at 12 noon, Sunday.
n Alabama 3-16, Mississippi Valley State 1-5: At Hoover, Alabama, A strong pitching performance by Nick Eicholtz and strong hitting performance lifted the Crimson Tide (22-18) to their doubleheader sweep.
In Game 1, Eicholtz pitched seven innings in his third start of the season. He scattered three hits and struck out five. Right-hander Ray Castillo threw two innings for his fourth save.
Mikey White (2-for-3, one run scored) and Chance Vincent (2-for-3 with a double) led the Crimson Tide, while Georgie Salem and Kyle Overstreet had RBIs.
In Game 2, Alabama scored seven runs in the bottom of the first and built a 10-0 lead by the end of the second in support of a strong outing from starter Will Carter.
Alabama sent 11 batters to the plate in the home half of the first, plating seven runs on five hits — including a pair of triples — and three walks. The Tide’s 3-through-5 hitters strung together three consecutive RBI hits resulting in four runs, before Salem and Vincent capped the frame with RBI singles.
Carter allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out six.
Alabama will play Ole Miss at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Game 1 of a three-game Southeastern Conference weekend series. Game 2 will be at 7 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network). Game 3 will be at noon Sunday.
Junior Colleges
n No. 18 EMCC 11-3, Pearl River C.C. 10-7: At Scooba, David Pimentel’s walk-off RBI single lifted the No. 18 Lions to a comeback win in Game 1 of a MACJC doubleheader at EMCC’s Gerald Poole Field on Monday. The visiting Wildcats salvaged the twin-bill split with a victory in Game 2.
Dylan Vuncannon had four hits to pace the Lions (22-12), while Pimentel, former Columbus High standout Chris McCullough, Emil Ellis, and former New Hope High standout Taylor Stafford had two hits.
Former New Hope High standout JC Redden (3-2) allowed one hit in three shutout innings. He walked one and struck out two.
with two strikeouts and a walk while closing out the contest with three consecutive shutout innings.
EMCC is tied with Northwest Mississippi C.C. and Meridian C.C. for second place in the MACJC standings at 16-6. EMCC will play host to No. 16 Northwest at 4 p.m. today.
Softball
n MSU will play host to Memphis tonight in final regular-season home game: At Starkville, For its final game before its new facility is built in the offseason, the Mississippi State softball team (31-16) will play host Memphis (14-27) at 6 tonight (SEC Network +) at the MSU Softball Field.
Admission to the game is free and open to the public.
It will be Bully’s Kids Club Night with all members in attendance receiving an MSU pennant they can color and design themselves. Starkville Parks & Rec will hold their annual night at the ballpark as well. Starkville Park and Rec members will also receive an MSU pennant and will be allowed to take a picture with the team following the game on the field. All kids are invited to take the field with the team for the National Anthem. To do so, be there by 5:40 p.m.
n Ole Miss 18-17, Alcorn State 3-0: At Oxford, the Rebels (28-19) hit three home runs in Game 1 and used heads-up baserunning and plate patience in Game 2 to sweep the Lady Braves (2-25).
“We played as well as we could play tonight,” Ole Miss coach Mike Smith. “We swung the bats well. We didn’t base run as well as we should have, but sometimes that happens when you get in a lull and the atmosphere wasn’t the same as an SEC weekend. We improved on that in game two and waited for good pitches. We’re going to see something totally different this weekend and we have to change our mindset for going back into the weekend.”
Ole Miss will kick off a three-game series against South Carolina at 6 p.m. Friday.
n Alabama 5, Troy 2: At Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the Crimson Tide (36-10) scored four unearned runs to rally past the Trojans (29-20).
A fielding error by Troy in the bottom of the fifth inning with the bases loaded allowed two runs to score, tying the game. A two-run single by Jadyn Spencer later in the inning gave Alabama the lead. Chandler Dare’s sixth-inning single accounted for the Tide’s third and final RBI to cap a 2-for-4 performance.
Senior Leslie Jury (8-3) pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief to earn the win. She allowed one hit and one walk.
Alabama will play host to No. 11 Tennessee (35-11, 11-7 Southeastern Conference) at 7 p.m. Thursday (ESPN). Game 2 of the three-game series will be at 6:30 p.m.. Game 3 will be at 2 p.m. Saturday.
n ICC’s Roberts named MACJC Player of the Week: At Fulton, Itawamba Community College freshman Courtney Roberts has been voted Week 11’s MACJC Player of the Week when the league announced its winners Tuesday.
Roberts, of Hatley, went 11-for-18 with 14 RBIs, four runs, two doubles, three triples, one home run, and two stolen bases in five games last week to help lead the Lady Indians to victories against East Mississippi C.C. and Jackson State C.C. (Tenn.).
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