Bianco Collects 700th Career Win, 600th at Ole Miss

Colby Bortles
Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

Head baseball coach Mike Bianco earned his 700th career win and 600th victory at Ole Miss Friday night as the Rebels rolled over Grambling State University, 15-2, at Swayze Field.

With the milestone win for Bianco, No. 13 Ole Miss (13-1) wins its eighth straight game and improves to 13-1 on the 2016 campaign.

For the eighth time this season Ole Miss scored in the opening frame, in which the Rebels are now outscoring opponents a combined 25-6 in the first inning this season. After putting up five in the first against the Tigers (4-7), tonight’s game also marked the fourth time of the season Ole Miss has tallied five or more runs in one inning.

Junior J.B. Woodman went 2-for-3 tonight at the plate with two RBI and a double. Woodman continues to lead the team in RBI and doubles with 16 and six, respectively. Colby Bortles went 2-for-4 on the night with three RBI, the second time this season Bortles has hit three RBI in a single game. The Rebels also tallied two homers on the night. Junior Errol Robinson knocked his first home run of the season, and Cameron Dishon belted his second.

Redshirt-junior Brady Bramlett (4-0) had a standout night on the mound, throwing 11 strikeouts over five innings and picking up his fourth straight win. Eleven strikeouts were a season high for Bramlett, and the third time in his career he has reached double digits in strikeouts in a start.

GSU scored two runs on seven hits. Five different Tigers recorded hits throughout the evening, including two by Tray Bell. Starting pitcher Caleb Nunez (0-1) suffered the loss, going two innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on four hits and three walks.

Bortles got things rolling for the Rebels in the first inning with a RBI double that sent Will Golsan across the plate. Up 1-0, Ole Miss added another four runs in the first frame with two outs. Henri Lartigue sent a single to center and scored Woodman and Bortles. Connor Cloyd followed up with another two-RBI single to give Ole Miss a 5-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Woodman singled to right to score Robinson. While Woodman was attempting to steal second, Golsan took his chance and stole home, beating out the throw on his slide to put the Rebels up 7-0.

Woodman tacked on another RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning. After previously being hit by the pitch, Golsan scored for the second time of the night on the Woodman double.

Leading 8-0 in the fifth, the Rebels added three more runs when Robinson blasted a home run that cleared the left field fence. Holt Perdzock and Connor Cloyd scored on the homer and Ole Miss had 11 unanswered runs on the visiting Tigers.

After Bramlett’s day was done, Grambling put up its first run of the contest. After second baseman Larry Barraza reached first on a fielding error, Daniel Barnett walked. Darien Brown then reached on a fielder’s choice that resulted in a fielding error, allowing Barraza to cross the plate.

The Rebels responded quickly. Perdzock’s single put the 12th run of the night on the board. Grambling countered when Diamyn Hall scored on a fielder’s choice.

Dishon led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo shot to left for his second home run of the season. Michael Fitzsimmons followed with a double, and the Tigers walked Kyle Watson. With two runners in scoring position, Bortles doubled for the second time on the night sent both runs across the dish.

With a 13-run lead, Connor Green tossed the final 2.1 innings and did not allow a run, retiring 7-of-8 batters. The Rebels left no doubt in securing the milestone victory for their head coach.

Ole Miss and Grambling State will return to action tomorrow night at Swayze Field with a new start time. Saturday’s game time has been moved from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. CT. Junior Chad Smith (1-1, 4.02 ERA) will face off against Grambling’s Tanner Raiburn (0-2, 9.20 ERA). As always, fans can tune into the action on SECNetwork+, the ESPN app and the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports