Ole Miss Baseball Walked Off by Texas A&M 5-4 in Series Finale

Ole Miss baseball (16-11, 1-8) dropped the rubber match of a three-game series against Texas A&M (17-11, 3-6) Sunday afternoon, losing 5-4 on a walk-off, ninth-inning home run by the Aggies.

Ole Miss turned a season-high three double plays in the loss, but also hit into three double plays as the teams combined for six in the game.

The Rebels picked up right where they left off Saturday night, scoring two runs on three hits in the first inning of Sunday’s rubber match. Calvin Harris and Ethan Groff hit back-to-back doubles to open the frame and Groff moved to third on a throwing error by the right fielder. He would come around to score on a sacrifice fly from Jacob Gonzalez to put Ole Miss up 2-0 early.

JT Quinn got the start on the mound for the Rebels in what was his first weekend start and fifth total start of the season. He allowed one runner on base in each of his first two innings but was able to induce a double-play ball to get out of both jams.

Calvin Harris hit his fourth home run of the season in the third inning, a solo shot into the right field bleachers that made it 3-0 Ole Miss.

Texas A&M got on the board for the first time in the bottom half of the third inning with a solo home run of their own. They would tie the game up at 3-3 with another home run in the fourth, this one a two-RBI shot over the bullpen in right field.

Quinn retired the Aggies in order in the fifth inning but would come out of the game after facing one batter in the sixth. The freshman went a career-high five innings and issued just one walk in his first Sunday start. He also picked off his second baserunner of the season in the third inning. 

A bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning gave Texas A&M a 4-3 lead.

Mason Nichols closed out the sixth and worked through the seventh and eighth innings out of the bullpen, striking out three Aggies along the way and keeping the Rebels in the game. Ole Miss could not get anything going on offense however, going down in order in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

A leadoff hit by pitch from Anthony Calarco started a ninth-inning rally for the Rebels, down to their final three outs. Judd Utermark pinch ran for Calarco at first and Ethan Lege moved him to third base with a pinch-hit single to right center. With one out in the inning, Reagan Burford hit a fly ball to the deepest part of the park allowing Utermark to tag up from third base and score the game-tying run.

Nichols came back out for the bottom of the ninth inning but would give up a walk-off home run to the first batter of the inning on a 3-2 count.

Ole Miss will be in Memphis on Tuesday to take on the Tigers before hosting Arkansas next weekend.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports