BATON ROUGE — No. 13 Ole Miss opened up a close game with four runs in the fifth and seven runs in the seventh to salvage the series finale against LSU by a score of 16-5 on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers (21-16-1, 6-8-1 SEC) tallied double-digit hits for the fourth consecutive game, but LSU committed three errors in the contest while allowing 15 hits.
The Rebels, who lost their 14th straight series in Baton Rouge on Saturday, improved to 25-13 overall and 8-7 in league play on a day where strong winds played havoc with fly balls.
Ole Miss freshman left-hander Nathan Baker (5-1) scattered eight hits and four runs — two earned — in 5.1 innings to record his fifth win. Baker walked none and struck out three.
“It was a strange game today,” said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. “It’s not often that you can get beat 16-5 and really feel like you could have won the ballgame.”
LSU designated hitter Blake Dean went 2-for-5 with a solo homer while extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Second baseman Nicholas Pontiff added two hits and scored two runs.
Right fielder Chris McGhee went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. McGhee wore jersey No. 42 on Sunday in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Major League Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier.
LSU freshman right-hander T.J. Forrest (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of work. Forrest surrendered a two-out, three-run homer to first baseman Evan Button that gave the Rebels a 3-0 lead in the second.
“T.J. had a great first inning, and he was doing pretty well in the second inning,” said Mainieri. “They get a couple of guys on with two outs and a kid, who hasn’t really played much for them, hits a first-pitch fastball for a three-run homer.”
The Tigers countered with two runs in the fourth after capitalizing on a two-out error by second baseman Zach Miller. Miller misplayed a groundball from catcher Robert Lara. Pontiff then put LSU on the board with an RBI single. McGhee followed with a run-scoring double down the left field line.
Leading 3-2 in the top of the fifth, Ole Miss tagged LSU ace pitcher Jared Bradford for four runs on four hits. Third baseman Cody Overbeck drove an RBI double to the wall, scoring left fielder Justin Henry.
Centerfielder Logan Power added a run on a fielder’s choice grounder, and designated hitter Fuller Smith and first baseman Evan Button collected back-to-back run-scoring singles.
LSU sliced an 8-2 deficit to within four runs on a two-run single by third baseman Chris Jackson in the sixth.
However, Ole Miss put the game out of reach with a seven-run barrage in the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Miller. Bradford left after 3.2 innings of work, surrendering 12 runs — 10 earned — on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Dean provided the Tigers with another run in the seventh on a line drive homer over the right field wall. It marked Dean’s third blast of the year and first since March 13 against McNeese State.
Ole Miss reliever Cody Satterwhite tossed the final two frames without allowing a run or a hit.
Ole Miss 16, LSU 5 (Apr 15, 2007 at Baton Rouge, La.)
———————————————————————-
Ole Miss………… 030 041 710 – 16 15 2 (25-13, 8-7 SEC)
LSU……………… 000 202 100 – 5 10 3 (21-16-1, 6-8-1 SEC)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Ole Miss – Nathan Baker; Justin Cryer(6); C. Satterwhite(8).
LSU – T.J. Forrest; Nolan Cain(3); Jared Bradford(4); Louis Coleman(7); Matt Jackson(9).
Win-Nathan Baker(5-1) Loss-T.J. Forrest(1-2) T-3:17 A-7565
HR OM – Evan Button (1).
HR LSU – Blake Dean (3).
Game notes:
LSU right fielder Chris McGhee wore #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson.
Actual attendance: 3,242