Ole Miss sweeps Pirates; MSU overtakes Western Illinois

No. 8 Ole Miss overcame a four-run deficit to beat sixth-ranked East Carolina 8-6, completing a series sweep Sunday at Swayze Field.

The Rebels (3-0) scored five runs in the sixth inning to erase a four-run deficit, and sophomore Dallas Woolfolk got his team out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to help keep the undefeated season intact.

The Rebels scored six of their eight runs in the sixth inning or later, while giving up zero runs over the last three innings. Freshmen Cole Zabowski and Grae Kessinger led the offensive charge for the Rebels with half of the team's 10 hits. Zabowski led the way by going 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including a two-run home run in the second inning for the first dinger of his career. Kessinger recorded his first career hit as well as two others by going 3-for-4 with three singles to provide a spark at the bottom of the lineup.

In the sixth, Ole Miss scored five runs for a 7-6 lead.

Senior Colby Bortles led off the frame by getting hit by a pitch, and Chase Cockrell moved him to second with a fielder's choice. Will Golsan delivered an RBI single. Dillard drew a walk to reach base, and a passed ball moved both Rebels into scoring position. Zabowski smacked his second multi-RBI hit of the day with a two-run single that sliced the deficit to 6-5.

Michael Fitzsimmons walked before redshirt-freshman Carson Klepzig pinch ran for him, entering a game for the first time as a Rebel. With two on and one out, a grounder to short looked like a double play that would get ECU out of the inning with the lead. However, a perfect slide by Klepzig broke up the twin-killing and kept the inning alive. Ryan Olenek’s two-run double gave Ole Miss its first lead of the game, 7-6.

Mississippi State 10, Western Illinois 9: Brent Rooker’s RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted the Bulldogs (2-1) to a come-from-behind win at Dudy Noble Field.

Former Biloxi standout Cody Brown had two hits and three RBI for the Bulldogs (2-1). Brant Blaylock, Rooker, Hunter Stovall all had two RBI.

Spencer Price got the win in relief for MSU.

The Bulldogs faced Texas Tech in the second game of a doubleheader that wasn’t completed at press time.

This story was originally published February 19, 2017 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Ole Miss sweeps Pirates; MSU overtakes Western Illinois."