Rebel down Cajuns to force game three in Super Regionals

LAFAYETTE – Sixth-ranked Ole Miss used a three-run rally in the eighth inning to defeat the top-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team 5-2 in the Lafayette Super Regional on Sunday night at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field forcing a winner-take-all championship game tomorrow at 6 p.m.

The game can be seen live on ESPN2 with Tom Hart and Ben McDonald making the call. The winner of the contest tomorrow evening will be one of the final teams in the tournament to punch their ticket to Omaha and the College World Series.

"I thought both pitchers threw a really good ballgame," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "It was back and forth throughout the whole game. Their guys had a good tempo. Carson Baranik also set a great tempo. Nobody could really get the big hit at the right time, and all of a sudden we gave them a little crack, and they crawled through it, and you have to give them credit. Now what we have to do is flush this and get back out and get ready to go tomorrow."

The loss drops the Cajuns to 58-9 on the season, while the Rebels move to 45-19. Louisiana is 6-2 this season against SEC opponents.

Junior Carson Baranik (11-2) was tabbed with the loss despite his 10th quality start of the season holding the potent Ole Miss offense to three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks in seven innings.

"We thought if we could get six out of Carson, that would be really good," Robichaux added. "He gave us more than we thought. Carson did everything he could, and did a great job. We just couldn't finish it when we came out of the bullpen."

Reliever Aaron Greenwood (3-1) earned the victory for Mississippi throwing two innings to close out the game allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.

Starter Christian Trent had a quality start for the Rebels limiting the Cajuns to one unearned run in seven innings and fanned seven.

Offensively, Louisiana was outhit 8-6 in the contest by Mississippi. Sophomore shortstop Blake Trahan had a game-high three hits and drove in a run for the Ragin' Cajuns, while Preston Overbey and Errol Robinson each had two hits for the Rebels.

Ole Miss grabbed an early lead for the second consecutive game on a two-out RBI double to right field by catcher Will Allen to go in front 1-0.

The Cajuns got the equalizing run in the top of the fifth. Seth Harrison reached on an error by second baseman Preston Overbey with two outs in the inning. In the next at bat, Dylan Butler drilled a double down the left field line. Harrison was waved home on the play attempting to score from first and was called safe on a play at the plate as Allen dropped the ball on a tag play.

Overbey broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh as he lifted a solo home run over the fence in left to make the score 2-1 Rebels.

Blake Trahan tied the game for the second time in the top of the eighth on a two-out single through the right side of the infield scoring Michael Strentz from second. Strentz walked to lead off the inning and then moved to second on a Ryan Leonards sac bunt.

Ole Miss broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth scoring three runs on three hits and a Louisiana error to take a 5-2 advantage. Auston Bousfield came around to score on an error by Harrison in center to give the Rebels a 3-2 edge. Following a single by Sikes Orvis to load the bases, Colby Bortles drove a pitch from reliever Ryan Wilson up the middle to plate two and give Mississippi a three-run lead.

Senior Cody Boutte (9-0, 3.09 ERA) will make the start for the Cajuns in the final game of the Lafayette Super Regional. Sam Smith (5-4, 3.39 ERA) has been tabbed as the game three starter for Ole Miss.