Rebels Implode Late, Drop Series Opener to Iowa

The Rebels were held scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, and controversy struck in the top of the fifth on a hit-and-run that placed a Hawkeye baserunner in a rundown. He and the lead runner were both ruled safe at second and third base, respectively, in a play that would prove costly later in the inning.

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco argued a call on the field (presumably whether the runner was out of the baseline), but the ruling was upheld. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Davis Cop of Iowa hit a bases-clearing double to push his team’s advantage to 5-1.

The Rebels would scratch across a run on a solo shot from Ethan Lege in the bottom of the fifth, but a two-spot from the Hawkeyes in the seventh inning stretched the lead to 7-2. It was in the eighth, however, that magic seemed to strike for the Rebels as they pushed across five runs on two sac flies and three bases-loaded walks to tie the game.

­­­­­­­­­RHP Connor Spencer drew the ninth for the Rebels, and it appeared that he had the first out of the inning on a diving catch by Ethan Groff, but the play was overturned, and the frame unraveled from there.

The Hawkeyes would push across six runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach when the Rebels came back to the plate in the bottom half.

Gunnar Dennis drew the start on the mound for Ole Miss, working five innings of four-hit, five-run ball and striking out eight. He was relieved by righties Brayden Jones and Cole Tolbert in the sixth and seventh innings followed by Liam Doyle who worked 1.1 innings prior to the ninth. 

With the loss, Ole Miss falls to 6-5 overall on the year, and it will look to even the series with the Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon. First pitch at Swayze Field is set for 1:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.