Rebels Drop Game One At LSU

The Ole Miss baseball team saw its five-game winning streak come to an end Thursday night at Alex Box Stadium. No. 8 LSU scored in each of the first seven innings to down the Rebels (21-13, 6-7 SEC) 15-2.
With the setback to the Tigers (24-11, 8-5 SEC), Ole Miss dropped to 11-7 versus ranked teams this season.
Tim Rowe went 2-for-3 at the dish, putting together his third multi-hit game over the past five contests. Freshman Cole Zabowski came off the bench to double in the two Ole Miss runs in the ninth inning, and Bryce Blaum delivered a pinch-hit single in his first Southeastern Conference plate appearance.
It was a rare off night for James McArthur (2-2), who gave up six runs in 4.2 innings. Houston Roth retired the side in the eighth for a perfect inning of relief.
LSU starter Alex Lange (4-4) earned the win, pitching 7.0 innings without allowing a run. Greg Deichmann posted five RBI on three hits with the help of a grand slam, while Antoine Duplantis went 4-for-4 with three runs and four RBI.
After a single by Kramer Robertson, LSU moved its leadoff hitter around the diamond one base at a time. A sacrifice advanced Robertson to second, while he went to third on a groundout to shortstop. With two outs, cleanup hitter Jordan Romero knocked his fellow Tiger in by finding a hole through the left side of the infield. The Tigers followed the opening frame with another run in the second thanks to a walk and a double, both with two outs. On the two-base hit, the throw home was not in time as LSU held a two-run lead through the first pair of frames.
LSU added another run in the third, but the damage was limited thanks to the help of the Ole Miss defense. Three consecutive hits made it 3-0 with runners on first and second to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up 90 feet, but the two Tigers would not score. On a groundball to third, Kyle Watson rifled the ball home to prevent the lead runner from crossing the plate safely. Then, catcher Nick Fortes caught a high pop-up in foul territory to get McArthur and the Rebels out of the inning.
In the fourth, Colby Bortles made a pair of web gems. The senior captain made a diving stop at first before making a sliding catch in foul ground to end the inning. The spectacular play left two more Tigers in scoring position. However, a wild pitch earlier in the frame made in 4-0.
LSU continued to produce scoring innings. The Tigers scored four in the fifth, six in the sixth due to a pair of errors that kept the inning alive and one more in the seventh. However, Roth entered the game in the eighth and retired three consecutive hitters for a scoreless frame.
The Ole Miss bench fought in the ninth as Michael Fitzsimmons and Bryan Seamster reached base on free passes. With the Rebels down to their final out, Zabowski nearly left the yard. His opposite-field double off the wall in left scored both Fitzsimmons and Seamster to eliminate the shutout.
The Rebels will try to even the series tomorrow night at 7 p.m. CT. On the mound, it will be a battle of lefties as Ole Miss junior David Parkinson goes up against LSU junior Jared Poché. The game can be seen on SECN+, while David Kellum and Keith Kessinger will have the call on the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports