Ole Miss defeats the Knights of Central Florida by the score of 9-2 to get the series sweep.
Ole Miss (11-1) did not have to wait too long for their bats to come to life on Sunday afternoon against the Knights. The Rebels quickly put a four spot on the board in the bottom of the first.
Braxton Lee got everything started with a lead-off infield single followed by a single up the middle by Auston Bousfield. Austin Anderson would then load the bases after getting hit by a pitch. Will Allen then brought in the Rebels first run off of a RBI sacrifice fly to center. Sikes Orvis brings in Bousfield on a RBI walk. Preston Overbey singled and brought in Anderson on a RBI. The last run of the inning was plated by a RBI groundout to first off the bat of Colby Bortles, allowing Orvis to score.
Junior Lee goes two for four at the plate with two hits and an RBI.
“We just came out and listened to coach Godwin and coach B (Bianco) about how we have to come grind it out and be tough,” Lee said. “We came out the first two games and hit alright and came out today and played well enough to seal the deal and hit it pretty well.”
Allen added to his RBI total on the weekend, pushing his total to 18 on the season.
The Rebels were not done scoring as they added three more runs in the fourth inning. Lee hit an RBI single to the right side scoring Bortles. Bousfield brought in J.B. Woodman for the second run of the inning. Anderson hit a sac fly RBI to bring in Lee for the third run of the frame.
In the fifth inning, Orvis scored Ole Miss’s eighth run on a wild pitch surrendered by the Knight’s pitcher Tanner Olson. Bousfield plates=d the Rebels ninth and final run off of a sacrifice fly RBI by Henri Lartigue in the sixth.
Ole Miss’ starter, Sam Smith, worked a total of six inning’s giving up four hits and allowing no runs. Smith worked out of a jam in the top of the first and had two big strikeouts in the middle of the Knights’ lineup. He picked up his second win on the season.
Coach Mike Bianco discussed after the game the importance of Smith getting out of a jam in the top of the first inning.
“Right in the middle of their line up with a big strike out of Barber and then he gets the next guy as well,” Bianco said. “The Barber strikeout was huge. It changed the game and he is the guy that’s not having a high batting average, but leading their team in RBI’s. He hurt us a couple of times this weekend. He pitched out of a couple of those jams but that one was the game changer and the momentum shift.”
Central Florida scored two runs in the ninth inning to avoid being shutout to end the series.
Coach Mike Bianco called on Austin Blunt, Hawtin Buchanan and Scott Weathersby in relief of Smith out of the bullpen.
The Rebels return to the diamond at Swayze Field on Wednesday night as they take on the Memphis Tigers. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
–Adam Brown, Sports Editor of HottyToddy.com
Rebels Sweep Series Against UCF
