The Rebel offense again came up with three runs for the game on nine hits. Luckily, Drew Pomeranz and Brett Huber pitched to perfection in a 3-0 shutout. It was the first shut-out in 154 games for USCe.
Look, everybody! We have a runner on base!!!
via SECsports.com
The Rebel offense got a two run homer out of Miles Hamblin in the 3rd inning to go ahead for good. He hit it so far that it cleared both walls out in right field. Regions Park is 340 down the lines, and Hamblin probably got a good 380 or 390 feet out of his dinger. The only other score came from an RBI single from Taylor Hashman in the 7th that scored Matt Smith from third. Offensively, Taylor Hashman was the only Rebel with a multiple-hit game. If there were a way to negate runs, David Phillips tried his hardest today with a bases loaded strike-out and a pop out on a bunt with two ducks on the pond. I have no idea why he is still playing, but I am sure that Bianco knows best. Due to David Phillips and a lack of clutch hitting, we stranded 9 runners on the day. We have to do better to continue to have success.
The pitching staff was phenomenal. Pomeranz set the career strike-out record at 339 with 7 ks. The most impressive stat for Pomeranz was his one walk. Huber came in and did his thing to get his 11th save of the year.
Ole Miss will face Alabama at 4:30 p.m. central time. The game will be televised on CSS.
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You can follow all of the tournament action here (includes recaps, instant stats, scores).
Mark Etheridge of SEbaseball.com and former MS State catcher Thomas Berkery talked about the match-up after the game. It's pretty poorly done and both of them look lost on camera. However, I thought I could at least give you the link.
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In other tournament action, Jimmy Nelson of (7) Alabama pitched his third consecutive complete game and held the (2) Auburn Tigers to one run. (2) Auburn will face (3) South Carolina in the elimination game at 9:30 a.m.
(8) LSU beat the (1) Florida Gators 10-6. Anthony Ranaudo looked very sharp, and the LSU offense racked up 10 runs on 19 hits. I'm afraid the sleeping giant has been awakened. (8) LSU will face the winner of the (4) Arkansas and (5) Vandy match-up. (1) Florida will face the loser of that game.