By Jeff Byrd
Ole Miss wasted a great relief effort in a 14 innings to fifth ranked Georgia late Saturday night.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the 14th to even the series with a 9-7 win at Swayze Field.
Ole Miss pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts but it wasn’t enough. Georgia got a solo home run from Tre Phelps and a bases loaded walk in the 14th off Hudson Calhoun who was working his fifth inning of late relief.
Georgia, 33-11, will face the Rebs, 31-13, Sunday at 1 p.m. CT to decide the series.
Will Furniss had three hits to lead Ole Miss.
Ole Miss whittled away a 7-3 deficit after giving up a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning with Cade Townsend, the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week, on the bump. Townsend was one pitch of getting out of the inning with the lead, and stranding a Georgia runner at third.
Instead Rylan Lujo blasted a two-run homer to left, Georgia’s first of the series, to take the lead at 4-3. Unfortunately, the damage did not stay there. Reliever Will Lippert got in jam, loading the bases. A double cleared the bases and the Bulldogs suddenly had a 7-3 lead.
Ole Miss whittled it away, getting great relief pitching and timely hits. Furniss singled in a run to make it 7-4.
In the sixth, Brayden Randle homered to cut the deficit to 7-5. Ole Miss had two runners on in each the seventh and eighth, but Georgia got the key out to take the game to the ninth.
There, a walk to Judd Utermark was followed by Furniss’ big blast to right to tie the game. It was the Rebels ninth homer of the day, which was ironic, considering Georgia entered the series with the nation’s leader with 116 home runs.
Ole Miss got a runner to second in the 10th, but Dom Decker struck out and Tristan Bissetta flied out to left to end the threat.