James Minzesheimer
Ole Miss came into the Saturday matchup against Louisville looking for vengeance, as the Rebels fell 7-2 against the Cardinals and at the hands of top-ranked pitcher Reid Detmers.
The Rebels scored three runs in the bottom of the first off of with junior shortstop Anthony Servideo continuing his success from yesterday, wearing one early. Servideo would come around to score after a double from freshman second basemen Peyton Chatagnier.
Chatagnier, would then come around to score from a ground out by Keenan. Cael Baker would add another one for the Rebels, with the wind going out towards left put one out causing the first beer shower from the student section at Swayze.
This game went back and forth as each team would try to assert its dominance. Louisville would tack on one run in the second off a double from catcher Henry Davis, and in the fourth off another Davis double.
Louisville would tie the game up briefly in the fifth before the Rebels would regain the lead off a double from Cael Baker.
Louisville would also tie it up again in the sixth before the Rebels struck back with another run coming off the bat of Tim Elko, who sent a ball into the student section in right field.
The back forth nature of this game was very present, although Ole Miss never ceded the lead, Louisville kept fighting back over and over to make it an interesting one.
On the Bump from the Rebels it was a combination of strong efforts from starter Gunnar Hoglund and Austin Miller. Miller who pitched the seventh and eighth innings but ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up a solo shot to Cardinal right fielder Danny Oriente early.
Sophomore Braden Forsyth was able to come in and finish it striking out his head coach Mike Bianco’s son Ben Bianco.
“You try to pitch him like you pitch everyone else.” Mike Bianco said after the game. “Answering the questions, and the scrutiny can be really hard sometimes, and that’s what I struggle with more as a coach.”
Ole Miss leaves this game 1-1, hoping for another strong performance out of its offense. One of the keys to Sundays game will be the strength of the start for freshman Derek Diamond with Ole Miss depleting most of its bullpen over the past two days. It is unlikely that Austin Miller can throw tomorrow so the Rebels find themselves with a lack of strong options in the pen.
There is also a question mark in centerfield. All-American running back for the Rebels, Jerrion Ealy got the start yesterday, and Cade Sammons got the start today, but neither have really made a strong push for the full-time starting spot recording a combined no hits in young season.
On the day:
Servideo: 1 hit 1 RBI
Chatagnier: 2 hits 2 RBIs
Baker: 4 hits, 2 homers, 4 RBIs
Elko: 1 hit, homer, 2 RBIs
