No. 10 Ole Miss hands Tulane first defeat of season, 6-4

NEW ORLEANS – After battling back to take a 4-2 lead over the No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels, the Tulane baseball team suffered its first defeat of the year, 6-4, Friday night at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

A pair of two-run innings late by the visitors provided the difference.

Staring down a 2-0 hole early, the Green Wave (5-1) scored two runs in the third to tie the game, then went ahead after scoring two more in the fifth. But from there, Ole Miss (3-1) got a 2-run home run with two outs in the sixth and two more runs with two outs in the seventh to go ahead for good.

“I like this group. We fought like heck but things just didn’t go our way,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “I felt good about a couple of situations we had late, but they were able to make some pitches and get out of here with the win tonight.”

Tulane out-hit the Rebels 12-6 on the night, getting base knocks from eight different players in the contest. Trevor Jensen and Sal Gozzo each had doubles among their two hits, while Grant Mathews went 2-for-3 and Ty Johnson going 2-for-5 with a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Kaleb Roper (0-1) suffered the loss as he limited the Ole Miss hitters to just five hits, striking out eight and walking just one on the evening. After the first two runs of the game crossed the plate for the opposition, the senior retired seven consecutive batters and 11 of 12, until running into trouble in the sixth and seventh ending the game with five runs allowed.

Ole Miss starter Zack Phillips allowed four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 4.1 innings pitched on Friday, as the win went to Austin Miller (1-0) who came in and allowed just two hits in 1.2 innings. The Rebel bullpen, while looking shaky at times, kept Tulane off the board as Parker Caracci (1) earned the save as he scattered two hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 1.2 innings pitched.

No Ole Miss batter had more than a hit on the night, but Cole Zabowski drove in two on the game-tying home run in the fourth, while Grae Kessinger’s only hit was a solo home run in the seventh to give the Rebels the lead back.

With a run in each of the first two innings for Ole Miss, the Rebels took an early 2-0 lead over the Green Wave to open the scoring. While Tulane was unable to get anything going in those first two innings, the bats woke up in the third as Gozzo doubled down the left field line to get into scoring position, moving to third after a fly ball out to right.

Kody Hoese poked one through the right side to score the Tulane short stop to pull the Green Wave within one. Jensen hit a scorcher down the left field line for the double to put two back in scoring position, as Kobi Owen tied the game with a fly out to center, allowing Hoese to get in before the throw to knot the game at 2-2.

With an out in the fifth, Jensen earned his second hit of the day as Owen was hit by a pitch to put two on. A walk to Mathews loaded the bases and ended the day for Phillips and left a jam for Miller to try and work out of. Instead, Jonathon Artigues drove in Jensen to give Tulane the lead up 3-2.

Owen stole third and Hudson Haskin singled to center to plate another run and extend the lead to 4-2.

The lead would be short lived for the home team, as with two outs a hit batter put one on for the Rebels, Zabowski sent one over the fence in center to tie the game again, this time at 4-4.

Roper nearly got out of another inning, as he had two outs on the board in the top of the seventh, but Kessinger’s solo home run allowed the opposition to take the lead back to go up 5-4. Justin Campbell came in to pitch and was unable to get out of the inning allowing a run on a hit, as Krishna Raj came on after that and closed out the game from there without allowing another run to cross.

With an out in the eighth, Gozzo hit an infield single and Johnson followed suit with a single through the left side. However, Ole Miss picked off Johnson at first and a pop up to third ended the inning.

In the final frame, Jensen drew a walk and after a strikeout Mathews earned his second hit of the day with a single to center. Unfortunately, a strikeout and an unassisted grounder to first base ended the game securing the win for Ole Miss.

Game two of the series is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch Saturday afternoon at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

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