Persistent Rebels Claim Gritty Win Over South Carolina to Open Conference Play
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss Rebels were persistent on Friday night, and they rode that commitment to a 5-4 win over the No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks to open SEC play at Swayze Field.
The Rebels (14-5, 1-0 SEC) accumulated nine hits en route to the win, and they had to play the comeback role in the middle innings to come out on top.
South Carolina broke through first on Friday night with a two-run top of the second inning, but the Rebels would respond in the bottom half with a notch of their own on a run-scoring double play, a theme that would persist throughout the game in the back-and-forth affair.
The Gamecocks would push another run across in the fourth inning, but Ole Miss responded again in the bottom half of that frame with an RBI groundout from Will Furniss. The real game-changer, however, came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Ole Miss was able to push across two runs on a Luke Hill double to give it its first lead of the game at 4-3.
Ole Miss shortstop Luke Hill stands at second base after his two-run double in the sixth inning.
Ole Miss Athletics
The Rebels would add another run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Treyson Hughes grounded into a double play, and they would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the night.
On the hill for Ole Miss, it wasn’t a pristine performance from starter Gunnar Dennis, but he did make some clutch pitches in big situations to keep the Rebels in the game. He finished the day after five innings, having given up five hits, three runs and two walks alongside seven strikeouts.
He was relieved by a combination of Mitch Murrell, Mason Nichols and Connor Spencer who did not allow an earned run, although one did come across on an error in the eighth inning.
The Rebels will look to win the series with the Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon in a 1 p.m. CT first pitch at Swayze Field. The game will be televised on SEC Network.