Column: Ole Miss Faces Arkansas in Must Win Game

By Emily Cochran

elcochra@go.olemiss.edu

I am gutted. Absolutely gutted. This loss was a tough pill to swallow for Rebel Nation. I didn’t foresee this. Really, I didn’t. Someone I spoke with after game 11 said “I’m scared of Arkansas,” to which I replied “Don’t worry, we will be fine.” I genuinely wasn’t nervous until after the National Anthem which was beautifully sung by the trio of women. From the minute they took the field, my stomach was in knots.

After three or four innings I was nervous, and for good reason. Our offense, with the exception of Kemp Alderman, was flat. They just couldn’t get the hits. Thirteen Rebels struck out at the plate. Thirteen.

I felt like I had the best seat in the house, right behind the Ole Miss Dugout, but I assure you I did not enjoy the show. The only time I felt like the Rebs had life was in the top of the ninth when Jack Dougherty worked his way out of a jam to fire up the crowd and bring life to Charles Schwab.

The bottom of the ninth was our last chance. My blood pressure was through the roof at this point. My brain was banging against my skull from all the screaming and my voice was starting to crack. I was sitting on pins and needles. The man of the night, Kemp Alderman, got the lead off single. Back-to-back hits by Peyton Chatagnier and Hayden Dunhurst loaded the bases. Hayden Leatherwood, who hasn’t seen the field in post-season play, struck out, followed by a strikeout for McCants, who’s been out due to injury. It was down to Justin Bench. Two outs. Ducks on the pond. A pop fly to left ended the game and sent us into a do or die situation at 3 p.m. Thursday.  Arkansas-Ole Miss.

The winner will face Oklahoma in the finals this weekend. Bianco will turn to DeLucia who will take the mound for Ole Miss on only a few days’ rest. We need him to have a stellar showing on the bump. It’s do or die now. So wear your lucky underwear, your lucky ball cap, your lucky socks, or whatever else it is that brings you luck, because today is for all the marbles and we need the Rebs to be what they have been for the last few weeks… and that’s hot.