Diamond Rebels Capitalize on Tiger Miscues to Secure Win

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

No. 9 Ole Miss continues to roll on the diamond as they defeated the Memphis Tigers 8-1 on Tuesday night. They are now on an 11-game winning streak.

Ole Miss jumped out early offensively in the first as they scored two runs. Peyton Chatagnier came in on an infield RBI single off the bat of Anthony Servideo. Servideo came in on a wild pitch.

“I don’t know if the lineup will stay that way (Chatagnier as leadoff and Servideo in the three-hole),” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “The plan was to get some other guys in, get Van Cleve and Leatherwood. Those two guys – Servideo and Keenan – are as good as anybody. That’s how it fell out today.”

The freshman second baseman Chatagnier finished the night going 1-for-2 and got on base four times. He got a double in the third along with three walks at the top of the order.

Junior shortstop Servideo finished the night as he went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and got on base four times.

“I felt good tonight and tried to continue what I had been doing – swing at pitches in the zone,” Servideo said. “(It’s) the first time in my life I have hit in the three whole and it was fun. Nothing changes. I have to do my job and pass the bat to the next guy. Find a way on base – that’s or motto as hitters and how we are going to be successful.”

Ole Miss’ starter Jackson Kimbrell got his first start of the season and rolled through the first two frames. In the third, the Tigers scratched their only run across the plate off the bat of Hunter Goodman with an RBI single.

Kimbrell’s night came to an end after 3.0 innings tossed with a run surrendered on two hits. He also struck out two and gave two free passes. He picked up his first win of the season.

Out of the bullpen, the Rebels used Wes Burton (1.1), Austin Miller (1.2), Drew McDaniel (0.1), Max Cioffi (1.2) and Cole Baker (1.0).

“We were good (on the mound). Some of the young guys got some opportunities tonight,” Bianco said. “Proud of Jackson Kimbrell. Wes looked good for an inning. Drew is going to be really good. We only allowed one run and you got to be proud of the way we pitched.”

The Rebels retired 12 Tigers on the evening. As a staff, Ole Miss has now recorded 124 strikeouts on the season.

The Tigers hurler Walker Brockhouse picked up his first loss on the year after he logged 4.0 complete innings, surrendered five runs (four earned) on four hits, fanned six batters and allowed three walks.

For the second time on the season, the Rebels did not hit a home run. Against Memphis, the Rebels took advantage of the walks and miscues and capitalized on wild pitches. The Tigers walked a total of 11 Ole Miss sluggers.

“The one thing that we have been able to do is to get on by walks and hits by pitch,” Bianco said. 

Memphis’ head coach Daron Schoenrock used a total of six arms on the night: Logan Walters (made an appearance), Joshua Scheer (1.0), Daniel Casto (1.0), Joshua Muse (0.2) and Reed Harding.

Memphis applied pressure in the seventh inning as they loaded the bases with one out when Goodman came to the dish. The Rebels got out of the frame with a double play started by Tyler Keenan at third base.

“(Goodman) is a really good hitter and I just tried to execute my pitches,” Cioffi said. “I didn’t execute all of them like I wanted to, but the result is what we wanted and I got to be a part of the win.”

Ole Miss returns to the diamond on Friday to start a three-game series tilt against Princeton. The first pitch on Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network +.

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