Ole Miss Baseball Takes Two From Stetson

OXFORD, Miss. (Ole Miss Athletics) — The No. 22-ranked Ole Miss baseball team (8-5) claimed the weekend series with Stetson (7-8), taking both games of its doubleheader Saturday, March 7, at Swayze Field. After an 8-3 win in game one, the Rebels followed it up with a 7-3 victory in game two.

“We have a ways to go still, but today was our most complete day, offensively, and we continue to play clean defensively,” head coach Mike Bianco said. “And on the mound, for the most part, we pitched well.”

Ole Miss will look to complete the sweep in Sunday’s series finale, now set for 12:00 p.m. CT due to anticipated inclement weather. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ as well as the Ole Miss Radio Network.

GAME 2 RECAP: Ole Miss 7, Stetson 3

Sophomore right-hander Brady Bramlett joined some elite company as he helped carry Ole Miss past Stetson 7-3 in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, clinching the weekend series for the Rebels.

“I felt good from the start,” Bramlett said. “I’m not really a vocal guy, but coming to the dugout (after that first inning), I got a little vocal and said, `Let’s go. Let’s score some runs.'”

Bramlett struck out a career-high 12 batters, the most in a game by an Ole Miss pitcher since Drew Pomeranz struck out 15 in a win over Georgia on April 9, 2010. It was his second double-digit strikeout game of the season, becoming the first Rebel to record multiple double-digit strikeout games since Pomeranz, also in 2010.

Bramlett (2-1) worked six scoreless innings to earn the win, scattering three hits with one walk, to go along with the 12 strikeouts. He faced four over the minimum and struck out three batters in each of the first, second and sixth innings, including a perfect first inning to start his outing.

“He’s always fired up and ready to go,” said junior left-hander Christian Trent of Bramlett. “I thought he was going to get the record two weeks ago. I thought he was going to get the record today. He was on pace for 27, but 12 is still impressive. I’m sure he will take 12.”

As a staff, Ole Miss pitchers struck out 15 Hatters throughout the game, marking the most strikeouts for Stetson since facing Chris Sale and Florida Gulf Coast University, March 9, 2010.

Sophomore shortstop Errol Robinson tallied his second multi-hit game of the day and his third of the season, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Freshman second baseman Tate Blackman also went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the contest.

Sophomore catcher Henri Lartigue gave Ole Miss a 1-0 lead in the second with his first career home run on a solo shot to right. The Rebels put up a four-spot in the second, taking advantage of three Stetson errors in the frame. Also in the inning, Blackman delivered the big hit with a two-out, two-RBI single to left.

The Hatters cut into the lead with three runs in the seventh as each of the first four batters in the inning reached base. Kyle Pitts started things off with a RBI double, followed by a two-RBI double by junior first baseman Will MacKenzie, before freshman right-hander Will Stokes retired the next three batters in order to end the threat.

Ole Miss added two runs in the eighth on a two-RBI single by freshman designated hitter Will Golson, while sophomore left-hander Wyatt Short worked a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the save to close out the 7-3 win for the Rebels.

GAME 1 RECAP: Ole Miss 8, Stetson 3

Behind the left arm of Christian Trent and a three-run second inning, the Ole Miss baseball team took the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader and the first game of the weekend series against Stetson, 8-3.

Trent (3-0) earned the win, improving to 12-0 for his career, as he settled in and pitched a shutout after giving up three runs over the first two innings. Trent scattered six hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.

“If you’re going to be the ace, one of the challenges you’re going to face is if you get banged around a little bit, can you stay in there,” Bianco mentioned. “After three runs, we kept answering, which was huge, but it was also big that after those innings, he put up four zeroes in a row. He looked more like the ace. It may not have been his best stuff, but we started to extend the lead and he started to run through some innings.”

At the plate for the Rebels, the top three in the order went 7-for-13 with two doubles, a walk, a stolen base, three runs scored and five RBI, led by freshman left fielder Kyle Watson.

Batting leadoff for the third straight game, Watson put together a career game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, two runs scored and a career-high three RBI, raising his batting average to a team-best .481 for the season.

Sophomore shortstop Errol Robinson (3-for-4), freshman designated hitter Will Golsan (2-for-4) and junior center fielderJ.B. Woodman (2-for-5) also tallied multi-hit games, as the Rebels pounded out 14 hits for the opener.

“Will (Golsan) and Kyle (Watson), especially in the first game, both had terrific days,” Bianco said. “I’m proud of those young guys. Overall, it was a pretty good day for us offensively.”

A two-run home run by senior third baseman Josh Powers put Stetson on the board in the first. However, Ole Miss got both runs back in the bottom of the inning, plating a pair of runs on an RBI single by Woodman.

The Hatters added another run in the second, but the Rebels limited the damage to the single run as Woodman threw out another runner at the plate for the final out of the frame.

Ole Miss took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the second. After back-to-back singles to start the inning, Watson delivered with a two-run double to right, and then Golsan drove in another run with a RBI double to left.

Watson added to his RBI total with a two-out single in the third, giving the Rebels a 6-3 lead. Ole Miss closed out its scoring in the middle innings on an RBI single by junior outfielder Cameron Dishon in the fifth and took advantage of a fielding error with two outs in the sixth.