OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning to thwart ULM's upset bid with a 5-4 victory Tuesday at Swayze Field.
With one on and one out in the ninth, ULM (4-4) made a call to the bullpen as Tyler Bray replaced Chad Miller on the bump. Holt Perdzock singled over the head of Jeff Fuller who made a leaping attempt at second base. Errol Robinson followed and on 2-2, the shortstop was hit by a pitch.
ULM then got the ground ball it wanted but the Warhawks couldn't quite turn the double play and Ole Miss (7-1) tied the game at 4-4 and had runners at the corners with two outs. Braxton Lee followed and recording an infield single that allowed Perdzock to cross home plate and give the Rebels a 5-4 win.
Tyler Bray (1-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering one run and two hits in 0.1 innings of relief.
Ole Miss reliever Wyatt Short earned the win after recording the final two outs in the top of the ninth.
Dalton Herrington led the Warhawks with three RBI on one swing of the bat while Josh Faciane recorded one RBI and scored one run.
Sikes Orvis led the Rebels at the dish, going a perfect 3-for-3.
The Rebels scored the first runs of Tuesday's game in the home half of the first inning. After Braxton Lee drew a leadoff walk, Auston Bousfield connected on his second homer of the season to give Ole Miss a 2-0 lead.
ULM responded and used a four-run second inning to take a two-run lead at 4-2. With one out, Justin Stawychny and Kodie Tidwell tallied back-to-back singles and Ross Moore drew a walk to load the bases. Faciane, the Warhawks eight-hole hitter, delivered a RBI single to right to trim the deficit to one run and keep the bases juiced. Later in the frame, with two outs, Herrington blasted a double to the warning track in right center. Herrington's third double of the 2014 season plated three runs and ULM moved in front, 4-2.
Ole Miss closed the deficit to one run (4-3) as it added a single run in the bottom of the fourth. With two away in the frame, Austin Knight struck out swinging on a ball in the dirt but the throw by Warhawk catcher Chet Simoneaux sailed high over first baseman Keelin Rasch. Thanks to the throwing error and heads up base running, J.B. Woodman was able to score all the way from second base.
ULM had a chance to add an insurance run in the top of the ninth, but the Warhawks were unable to move Stawychny past second base as a pop out and a strikeout ended the top of the ninth.
Alex Hermeling recorded his second quality start of the season, but again earned a no decision as he allowed two earned runs (three total) on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings on the hill.
ULM and Ole Miss will battle again tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. Senior Jared Dye is projected to get the start for the Warhawks and it will be the right-hander's first start of 2014.
For updates throughout the season on the ULM baseball team, be sure to follow the squad on twitter @ULM_BSB.
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