It sure as hell doesn't make up for the football loss in 2010, but it felt good watching Ole Miss wipe the floor with Jacksonville State on Saturday in the Rebels' opening game of the Oxford regional. Chris Ellis was dominant in a complete game performance as the Rebs rolled to a 12-2 win in front of a 10,394 Swayze crowd, setting up a Sunday showdown with Washington.
Things got off to a sketchy start for Ellis, who allowed a pair of hits and a run in the top of the first. But Ole Miss answered in the bottom of the inning, using a two-out rally to post five runs. The Rebs batted around in the inning, and it was pretty much over from there. Ole Miss finished the game with a total of 17 hits and every starter recorded at least one hit.
The star of the show was Sikes Orvis, who slapped a two-run dinger in the sixth inning to push the lead out to 9-1. The beer shower was ROWDY.
Orvis finished an absurd 3-for-4 with five RBIs.
Ellis allowed two runs off eight hits and struck out eight. More importantly, he spared the bullpen. The Rebs still have Aaron Greenwood, Wyatt Short, Josh Laxer, Scott Weathersby, etc. available for relief work.
Unfortunately, Washington's pen is equally rested after a complete game from Tyler Davis. The Huskies rolled through Georgia Tech, 8-0, in the early game and will play the Rebs at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday.
Despite Georgia Tech being the preferred matchup for Ole Miss, the Right Field crowd was staunchly pro-Washington on Saturday, and the Huskies loved it. Center fielder Braden Bishop was throwing the warmup ball back and forth with students all game.
#HuskyWomen pic.twitter.com/BYkhCw44IH
— Jeff Gray (@Jeff_GraySBN) May 31, 2014
"Yesterday was an interesting experience with them chanting, 'Let's go Huskies," Bishop told Austin Miller of Ole Miss Sports. "I had fun with it. These people are amazing. The fans are unbelievable. It's a first-class school. We're excited to be here and play in front of those guys."
Bishop tweeted this after the game:
On my side or against me Ole Miss has the best outfield hecklers in the nation!
— Braden Bishop (@bradenbishop7) May 31, 2014
Enjoy it while you can, Braden. Things are gonna change in a hurry on Sunday.