How It Happened: Ole Miss Baseball Suffers First Loss of the Season to Baylor Bears

HOUSTON, Texas – No. 25 Ole Miss Baseball (9-1) suffered their first loss of the season Friday night 6-5 in extra innings against Baylor at the BRUCE BOLT College Classic.

Hunter Elliott struck out a career-high 11 batters over five innings of work. He allowed just two hits and only one earned run in the first inning. Elliott struck out eight of the last 10 batters he faced.

Tristan Bissetta hit two home runs in the loss, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. It was his second multi-home run game of the season so far.

Collin Reuter and Will Furniss each had two hits in the game as well.

Baylor got on the board first as Elliott struggled to settle in in the opening frame, scoring one run on an RBI fielder's choice.

Austin Fawley would tie the game in the bottom of the second inning, driving in a run and reaching on an error by the Baylor third baseman.

With the game tied at 1-1, Elliott settled in in the second, striking out at least two hitters in each of the next four innings. He allowed just three baserunners from the second inning on.

Bissetta hit his first home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, a two-RBI shot that went 383 feet down the right field line to make it 3-1 Ole Miss.

Ole Miss Rebels Baseball. — Courtesy of Tristan Bissetta's X/Twitter.

The Rebels held onto their two-run lead until the top of the eighth inning. Hudson Calhoun opened the frame with back-to-back strikeouts but then issued a walk and gave up a single to put two runners on.

Baylor's Hunter Snow then hit a three-RBI home run into the Crawford Boxes in left field to give the Bears a 4-3 lead.

Bissetta tied the game in the bottom of eighth with a solo shot to open the inning. Reuter was hit by a pitch and then pinch ran for by Owen Paino. Paino moved to third on a single by Furniss and scored on a sacrifice fly from Fawley, giving the Rebels a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth.

Baylor tied the game at 5-5 with one out in the ninth inning, but couldn't bring across the winning run, giving the Rebels a chance in the bottom of the ninth. Judd Utermark singled to reach and with two outs, Paino hit a single to move him to third. Ole Miss couldn't bring the run across however, sending the game to extra innings.

With the ghost runner rule in effect, Baylor scored an unearned run in the top of the 10th inning to make it 6-5. Ole Miss recorded three straight outs with their runner on second, ending the game and taking their first loss of the season.

The Rebels will be back at it Saturday morning against Ohio State at 11:05 a.m.

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