Bats come alive for No. 11 Ole Miss in run-rule win over South Caroline to avoid sweep
The first two days in Columbia were not kind to No. 11 Ole Miss but Saturday’s finale might have been the medicine it needed.
After South Carolina claimed its first Southeastern Conference series of the season by taking Thursday and Friday’s game from an anemic Rebels offense the series finale was a complete opposite.
With the help of four home runs Ole Miss avoided the sweep with a 12-2 run-rule win over the Gamecocks in seven innings.
Outfielder Mitchell Sanford moved up to the leadoff spot and it appeared to suit him, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, including in the game’s first at-bat of the game.
First baseman Will Furniss and catcher Austin Fawley each had a home run to aid in the scoring on 13-hit game for the Rebels (28-12, 10-8 SEC).
“It was good to get back to where we were,” Sanford said. “I think we had a bit of a dry spell this past week. It happens. I mean, it’s baseball. We’ve played long enough to know that that sometimes happens. It was good to do this on the third game of the weekend in SEC play. Get the bats going again and we’re going to be fine.”
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On the mound Mason Nichols provided stability that Ole Miss needed, working five innings and allowing two runs off three hits. He struck out three and walked three other Gamecock batters.
Will McCausland worked two scoreless innings in relief, striking out of a pair and issued one free pass.
“You needed that kind of effort on the mound, especially on day three,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “We used some guys up but we felt good about the bullpen today with McCausland. Morris was ready to go and (Connor) Spencer hadn’t thrown yet. But Mason just took the bull by the horns.”
Ole Miss will return to action on Tuesday, playing Mississippi State in Pearl for the Governor’s Cup before hosting Vanderbilt next weekend.
