Rebels take series finale from South Carolina
Published 5:47 pm Sunday, May 6, 2018
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ole Miss went deep into the park, and into the day, to secure a needed Southeastern Conference victory.
The Rebels hit four home runs, and Will Golsan scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning as they beat South Carolina 6-5 on Sunday.
Ole Miss (36-13, 13-11 SEC) avoided a series sweep at the hands of the red-hot Gamecocks (28-19, 13-11), who have won nine of their last 11 games.
Sunday’s win kept Ole Miss in a three-way tie with South Carolina and Auburn for the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament, which comes with a first-round bye. There are six conference games left in the regular season.
“When a top five team comes into your park and is happy to win a game, it must mean we’re getting pretty good,” South Carolina coach Mark Kingston said.
Chase Cockrell finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs for Ole Miss. Golsan had three hits, and Nick Fortes and Thomas Dillard also homered.
Carlos Cortes and Hunter Taylor homered for South Carolina.
The teams traded the lead several times early, but Taylor put South Carolina ahead 5-3 with a solo home run in the sixth inning. Ole Miss rallied to tie it on a sacrifice fly in the seventh by Cole Zabowski and a solo homer in the eighth by Cockrell.
The game went to extra innings, and Golsan led off the 10th with a single. He moved to third on a double by Tyler Keenan, and Cockrell followed with a fly ball to right center field.
Golsan tagged and hustled home as Jacob Olson’s throw came up the third base line. Golsan initially missed the plate with his slide, but quickly turned and tagged it for the go-ahead run.
South Carolina threatened in the bottom of the 10th. Two singles and an error loaded the bases with two outs, but Ole Miss reliever Parker Caracci struck out Madison Stokes to end the game.
Caracci pitched the last four innings without giving up a run. He struck out four and allowed four hits, and also escaped a jam in the eighth when South Carolina had runners at first and third with no outs.
“We thought for sure we’d get the run in at that point, with first and third, nobody out and the top of your lineup,” Kingston said of the eighth inning. “It just wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes you’ve got to credit the other pitcher. He got out of it.”