OXFORD, Miss.- It took ten innings to do it, but after a five-run ninth inning, the Rebels came back to beat the Bulldogs in the tenth, completing the series, and the season sweep. A total of 25 runs for the Rebels across the three-game span, but the drama goes way deeper than that. It was the way they won it that was so impressive. Two out of the three games, they won by one run; the one they didn’t? The score was 13-10, not your average. everyday baseball score.
The Saturday game gave us the classic scenario: Bottom of the ninth, two outs, down by five runs. That was all the Rebels needed. They then pushed 5 across the plate in their two-out rally right there in the bottom of the ninth, to bring it to extra innings, where they only needed one to seal the deal. They were lead offensively on Saturday, and throughout the weekend, by senior infielder Sikes Orvis, who blasted two home runs in the series finale. Orvis has hit five home runs in the past four games.
This weekend, the Rebels claimed their third straight series over their in-state rival, and completed the season sweep, after defeating them 11-1 earlier this season in the Governor’s Cup at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
The Rebels saw their record improve to 28-24 overall, with a conference record of 14-13. They have one midweek game left where they will travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas to take on Arkansas State on Tuesday, before they play their final series of the season at home in Oxford, against a tough Texas A&M squad.
The Bulldogs watched their record fall to 24-27, with an 8-19 SEC record. They have no more midweek games left, only a final weekend series up in Knoxville, where they’ll face the Tennessee Volunteers.
The SEC Baseball Tournament will begin next week, running Tuesday through Sunday.
