OXFORD, Miss.-ULM gave Ole
Miss all it could handle over the first five-and-a-half innings in the rubber
game of the season-opening series; however the No. 17 Rebels turned on the
offense late to pull away for a 13-2 victory Sunday at Oxford-University Stadium.
The Rebels (2-1) broke a 1-1
tie with a pair of runs in the sixth inning and broke open the game with 10
runs on six hits in the seventh inning.
Nick Wade gave ULM (1-2) a 1-0
lead in the top of the fourth inning with the first home run of the weekend for
the Warhawks. Wade had both of ULM's RBIs on the day as he added a sacrifice
fly in the eighth inning.
The Warhawk lead was short
lived as David Phillips started the Ole Miss rally with his third home run of
the weekend in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the decisive sixth inning, Tanner
Mathis broke the tie with a bases loaded single that just skipped off the glove
of ULM shortstop Boomer Blanchard. Following a walk and a strikeout, Kevin Mort
drew a bases loaded walk to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead.
Making the first start of his
Ole Miss career, Trent Rothlin (1-0) allowed just two ULM base hits and one run
over six innings as he picked up the win. He did struggle with his control
walking four batters and striking out just two.
A thorn in the side of the
Warhawks all weekend long, Phillips finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs to give
him six hits and six RBIs for the weekend series.
Perry Smith saved a run for
the Warhawks on Phillips' home run as he gunned out Zach Miller at second base when
he tried to stretch a single into a double the at-bat before. Smith also threw
out Miles Hamblin in the first inning on a similar play.
Corey Brown (0-1) made an
impressive start on the mound for the Warhawks despite being handed the loss.
He struck out three batters, allowed a pair of runs and scattered six hits over
five innings of work. The Warhawk bullpen was charged with 11 runs on eight
hits and 10 walks over three innings of work.
Miller robbed Blanchard of an
RBI double in third inning as he made an outstanding play on a sharp grounder
down the third-base line. Blanchard picked up his third hit of the weekend with
a double to left-center in the eighth inning. He would later come home to score
on Wade's sacrifice fly.
The Warhawks will take the
mid-week off before returning to the diamond next weekend at the Stephen F.
Austin Classic in Nacogdoches, Texas. ULM opens the tournament on Friday
against Creighton at 11 a.m. before taking on Stephen F. Austin at 3 p.m. on
Saturday and Northwestern State at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
