No. 4 Diamond Rebels Take Game One from Alabama

Cole Zabowski. Photo by Steven Gagliano

The No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels took game one of the series from Alabama by the score of 3-2 on Thursday night.

Ole Miss (41-13, 17-11 SEC) had a dominating performance on the mound by Ryan Rolison and a game winning RBI in the sixth off the bat of Will Golsan to keep the Rebels in the hunt for the SEC West with two games left.
The Rebels got on the scoreboard first in the second inning when Golsan and Tyler Keenan delivered back-to-back one-out singles to set the table for junior Chase Cockrell. Cockrell took a 1-0 pitch and lined it down the left field line to score Golsan and give the Rebels an early 1-0 lead.
Alabama answered quickly in the home half of the second when Chandler Taylor hit his 13th home run of the season.
Rolison worked 6.0 innings, struck out eight Alabama sluggers and only allowing two runs on two hits. Then the Rebels brought in Will Ethridge and Parker Caracci who came into the game in the final three innings to secure the win.
Cole Zabowski sent a opposite field shot in the fourth to regain the lead 2-1.
The Crimson Tide struck back a half inning later, loading the bases with no outs in the inning. Rolison was able to get a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but Alabama tied the game after Ole Miss second baseman Anthony Servideo fielded a slow roller and fired to first, but Zabowski couldn’t hold on to the throw.
With Alabama threatening to take its first lead of the game, Rolison recorded a strikeout and fly out to center to escape the jam. Rolison walked a season-high five in the game, but was able to pitch around the free passes with eight strikeouts and allowing just two hits, a SEC season-low for the lefty.
With the game still knotted at 2-2 in the sixth inning, Thomas Dillard took a 3-1 fastball and hit it off the wall in right-center for a one-out double. Dillard advanced to third on a groundball out by Zabowski. Golsan would take advantage with an infield single to short that he was able to beat out the throw to first. It was Golsan’s second hit of the day and all the Ole Miss bullpen would need to help the Rebels pick up the win.
Ethridge worked a hitless seventh with one strikeout before handing the ball off to Caracci, who struck out two over two innings of work to earn his 10th save of the season.
Ole Miss takes the diamond against Alabama again tonight. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.