Gainesville, Fla.— Ole Miss came into the rubber game against the No. 21 Florida Gators looking to take the series after splitting the first two games. Ole Miss claimed the series with a 5-2 win.
For the second straight game, a pitcher’s duel broke out until the ninth inning, in which the Rebels sent nine batters to the plate.
Ole Miss (22-11, 5-7 SEC) had a hard time at the plate against the Gators’ starter Russell Sandefer, going down in order with the first nine in the order.
The Rebels’ starter Cade Townsend with a quick first. He matched it in the second.
“Cade was awesome tonight,” Coach Mike Bianco said. “We needed all six innings tonight.”
Florida (24-9, 7-5 SEC) with a lead-off triple in the third off the bat of Jacob Kendall. Kendall scored on a pass ball in the dirt. The Gators got a one-out base knock
Ole Miss looked to answer in the fourth as Dom Decker led off with a single. Decker was stranded at first.
Sandefer retired six straight after the base knock Decker and had eight strikeouts through five innings.
The Rebels got their second base runner of the game in the sixth as Decker drew a two-out walk. The inning came to a close as Tristan Bissetta went down on strikes.
Townsend tossed 6.0 complete innings, allowing a run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Collin Reuter, with the second hit of the game against Sandefer, came in the seventh with two outs.
Bianco made the call to the bullpen for the arm of right-hander JP Robertson in the seventh. Robertson worked 0.2 innings, giving up a run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout. He then handed the ball to Walker Hooks in the frame. Hooks tossed 2.1 innings with no runs on a hit no walks and a three strikeouts.
Florida extended its lead in the seventh on an RBI single by Kolt Myers to make it 2-0.
Sandefer worked 7.0 complete innings with no runs on two hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts.
Florida brought Joshua Whritenour to the bump in the eighth. Whritenour pitched an inning plus, allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
In the ninth, Ole Miss got a lead-off walk by Bissetta, followed by a two-run home run by Judd Utermark. Will Furniss sent a ball to right field. The Rebels then loaded the bases after a walk and a hit-by-pitch to Owen Paino, and Cannon Goldin got on base. Brayden Randle gave Ole Miss the lead on a sac fly to center. Hayden Federico delivered a two-out single that scored two more runs.
The home run by Utermark ended a 20-inning scoring drought for the Rebels.
“It started two innings before,” Utermark said. “It doesn’t happen if Tristian doesn’t get on before me.
Florida in the home half of the ninth, got a base hit to open the frame, followed by a fly out to center, and back-to-back strikeouts.
Ole Miss’s pitching staff only allowed the Gators to get seven hits and recorded ten strikeouts.
Ole Miss returns to the diamond on Tuesday as they play host to Alcorn State in non-conference action. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on the SEC Network+.
