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NO. 22 OLE MISS SPLITS SERIES WITH NO. 10 TCU AFTER 5-3 SUNDAY LOSS
FORT
WORTH, Texas – Tanner Mathis went 3-for-4 with an RBI and the Rebels
strung together a fifth-inning rally to tie the game, but couldn’t grab
the lead as No. 22 Ole Miss (1-1) fell to No. 10 TCU (1-1) by a score
of 5-3 on Sunday.
The two teams split the weekend series after
Ole Miss won the opening game 7-4 on Friday night and Saturday’s game
was cancelled due to inclement weather in the area.
Mike Mayers
(0-1) suffered the loss in relief despite strikeout out eight batters
in 4.0 innings of work. Mayers allowed two runs on one hit with two
walks after entering the game to start off the bottom of the fifth in
relief of starter R.J. Hively.
Preston Morrison (1-0) picked up
the win in relief, working 3.1 innings of relief with two strikeouts
while holding the Rebels hitless in his time on the mound.
“It
was almost a mirror image of Friday night’s game,” said Ole Miss head
coach Mike Bianco. “They got the clutch double and we didn’t make the
plays we needed to make in the first inning. The first inning just got
away from us. Both teams pitched well today. We competed really well
against a very good baseball team this weekend.”
TCU got things
started in the first, using a liner to right center and back-to-back
bunt singles to load the bases with no outs. Ole Miss got a strikeout
on the next at bat, before TCU would plate two runs on a ground out and
a throwing error in an attempt to turn a double play. Hively then
coaxed a grounder out of Brett Johnson to end the inning down 2-0.
The
Rebels escaped a jam in the third inning when Hively struck out Johnson
looking to end a bases loaded scenario for the Horned Frogs.
TCU
pushed the lead out to three in the fourth inning when a double and a
triple from Rivera and Von Tungeln pushed a run home. The Rebels got
out of the inning a batter later when Jason Coats flew out to the wall
in center, leaving TCU on top 3-0.
Ole Miss mounted a rally in
the third, putting two men on with two outs before Yarbrough ripped a
single down the first base line to drive in Zach Kirksey. TCU went to
its bullpen or Brandon Finnegan, who then gave up back-to-back singles
to Matt Snyder and Tanner Mathis as the Rebels tied the score at three.
The
back-to-back RBI singles sent the Horned Frogs to the bullpen again for
right-hander Preston Morrison. Morrison then won a hard-fought at bat
with Will Allen who saw nine pitches before TCU would get out of the
inning.
TCU got two of the runs back in the home half of
the fifth, using a double off the wall in right with two outs to drive
in two runs. Mike Mayers, who had come in to relieve Hively to start
the fifth, got two quick outs before putting two men on base to set up
the two-RBI hit from Michael Resnick. TCU led 5-3 after five complete.
The
Rebels could not mount another rally from there as the home standing
Horned Frogs closed out the game to split the weekend series.
Ole
Miss will return to action on Tuesday night with a single game against
Arkansas State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Oxford-University
Stadium/Swayze Field.
No. 10 TCU 5, No. 22 Ole Miss 3 (Feb 19, 2012 at Fort Worth, Texas)
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Ole Miss............ 000 030 000 - 3 8 1 (1-1)
TCU................. 200 120 00X - 5 8 0 (1-1)
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Pitchers:
Ole Miss - R.J. Hively; Mike Mayers(5) and Will Allen. TCU - CRICHTON,
Stefan; FINNEGAN, Brandon(5); MORRISON, Preston(5); MERCK, Kaleb(9) and
ELANDER, Josh.
Win-MORRISON, Preston(1-0) Save-MERCK, Kaleb(1) Loss-Mike Mayers(0-1) T-2:32 A-4502
Weather: Cloudy, 45, Wind WSW 5 mph
FINNEGAN faced 2 batters in the 5th.
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