How It Happened: Ole Miss Baseball Falls 2-1 to No. 7 Southern Miss in Heartbreaker

Mike Bianco and Co. fall to the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg, poor offensive showing halts Rebels' chances on Tuesday.

The Ole Miss baseball team prior to taking the field against Wright State on March 1, 2025. | Ole Miss Athletics

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Ole Miss Baseball (15-3) dropped a nailbiter to No.7 Southern Miss (15-2) Tuesday night by a score of 2-1. The Golden Eagles scored the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning, barely avoiding extra innings.

The Rebels had just three hits on the night and were only able to scratch one run across on a solo home run by Tristan Bissetta.

The pitching staff only gave up two runs and allowed just 11 baserunners all night.

Taylor Rabe got the start on the mound for Ole Miss, working 2.2 hitless innings. He threw just 24 pitches and retired all eight batters he faced.

Neither team scored until the fifth inning when Bissetta hit his solo shot to center field to make it 1-0 Rebels.

Courtesy of Dom Decker's Instagram.

Southern Miss answered with a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game at 1-1.

Marko Sipila and Grayson Gibson each worked scoreless outings, allowing just two baserunners apiece. The Rebels induced three double plays to keep the Golden Eagles off the basepaths in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings

With two outs and runners on first and second base in the bottom of the ninth, USM's Tucker Stockman hit a line drive to right center to bring home the game winning run.

The Rebels open SEC play this weekend in Austin, Texas against No. 2 Texas.

What Mike Bianco Said Postgame:

“The rule is with one out, unless you know he’s going to catch it, and tag. If the ball goes up against the wall and you end up not scoring, you look really bad,” Bianco said, via Rivals. “So the baseball rule is when it doubt go halfway. So it wasn’t a bad read.”

“Unfortunately it comes down to who’s going to get the timely hit and we had runners on in the ninth, had two opportunity’s and not get it.”

Now, all focus shifts towards Southeastern Conference play with a series against the Texas Longhorns set for this weekend in the Lone Star State.

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