No. 18 Alabama scored three runs in the seventh inning Thursday night against No. 15 Ole Miss as the Crimson Tide won the opener of their three-game series with the Rebels 5-4 in Tuscaloosa.
Ole Miss (35-19, 14-14 SEC) senior outfielder Tristan Bissetta hit his 20th home run of the season – and first in nearly a month – in the sixth to give the Rebels a brief 3-2 lead.
Bissetta and senior third baseman Judd Utermark each have 20 home runs, marking the second straight year and second time ever that multiple Rebels have hit at least 20 homers.
Redshirt junior Hunter Elliott surrendered three earned runs over six innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Junior second baseman Dom Decker took the first pitch of the game from Alabama’s Tyler Fay – who struck out 11 batters over seven innings – deep to right field for a solo home run, though the Crimson Tide (36-17, 17-11) took a 2-1 lead on a Justin Lebron home run in the bottom of the first. The Rebels tied the game on an RBI single from junior catcher Austin Fawley in the second, but Alabama avoided what could have been a crooked Rebels inning when a botched squeeze play led to an out at home. Alabama got runners to the corners with no outs in the fifth, but a Lebron grounder back to Elliott started a double play at second and third base. Elliott struck out Brady Neal to end the inning.
Bissetta hit his first home run since April 19 leading off the sixth, a no-doubter to right-center that put the Rebels back in front. Elliott retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning but allowed the first two batters to reach in the seventh, paving the way for junior Hudson Calhoun’s entrance. After the first hitter reached on Calhoun to load the bases with no outs, Bryce Fowler tied the game with an RBI single, and Lebron put the Crimson Tied in front with a scoring groundout. Calhoun walked in a run as well in Alabama’s three-run inning.
Fawley drove in a run with a two-out single to trim the deficit to just a run in the ninth, but freshman pinch hitter Cannon Goldin struck out to end the game.
Ole Miss and Alabama continued their series Friday night. Game 3 is set for 2 p.m. today and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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