Ole Miss baseball run-ruled ... again ... in series-opening loss at No. 23 Georgia
So much for any Ole Miss baseball goodwill built up after a long-overdue series win over in-state rival Mississippi State last weekend.
The Rebels briefly halted a multi-year string of misery (save, of course, for their magical, title-winning summer of ’22) with their first series win over the Bulldogs since 2015. They snapped an eight-game losing streak in the process.
But Ole Miss was right back to its non-competitive ways Friday night at No. 23 Georgia.
Ole Miss fell to 20-17 (5-11 SEC) on the season after a walk-off Georgia grand slam handed the Rebels yet another run-rule loss (17-6) this season. Ole Miss has now been run-ruled in 25 percent of its conference games and all but two of its SEC series this season.
The Rebels, like they did against State, will try to win each of their final two games on a weekend to claim the series. Georgia improved to 28-9 (8-8 SEC).
OVER the batter's eye 👀@sirfischer3 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/Y40SBvxDAq
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 19, 2024
Smoothest oppo nuke you'll see today@WillFurniss | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/YVl3CkYIb6
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 19, 2024
To pull it off, however, the Rebels will have to sweep a Saturday doubleheader.
The change was made due to inclement weather expected in Athens on Sunday.
Game 1 is set for 1 p.m. CT, with first pitch of Game 2 to follow 45 minutes later. Both games are scheduled for nine innings. That is, if Ole Miss isn’t run-ruled again.
“I’m just kind of at a loss for words,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said afterwards. Bianco, in his 24th season leading the Rebels, is still one win short of 1,000 for his career.
Perhaps the lone silver lining on the night: Opening-day starter JT Quinn is poised to return. Quinn has been on the injured list since March (blister, oblique).
Bianco continued, “Just a tough night. I thought (Rebel starter) Riley (Maddox) was really good the first couple of innings. Obviously put too much stress on him against a really good Georgia offense. It looked like he just kind of ran out of juice. Had some balls bounce in holes, and we just couldn’t get off the field in the third.”
