OXFORD, MS ? The Arkansas State baseball team continued its strong play of late as the Indians knocked off 18th ranked Ole Miss, 14-9 at Swayze Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Indians used a 10-run second inning to break open the game as they claimed their seventh win of the year and first against a ranked opponent.
“I am proud of our team today as they went on the road and pick up a win against a very strong team in Ole Miss,” head coach Keith Kessinger said. “We took advantage of some miscues they had and were able to do enough things today to come away with the victory.”
The Indian offense continued its solid play in the early part of the year as the Tribe pounded out 15 hits. The Indians have now posted double figures in hits in seven of their first eight games this season.
Ole Miss (6-2) opened up the scoring against ASU starter T. J. Brewer in the bottom of the first inning the Rebels quickly loaded the bases. Justin Henry drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly and Jon-Jon Hancock gave Ole Miss a 3-0 lead with a two-run single up the middle.
The Indians (7-2) broke the game open with their 10-run second inning against Rebel starter Brett Bukvich. The 10 runs the Tribe scored are the most ASU has scored in a single inning in 11 years. The last double figure scoring inning for the Indians was in 1995 when the Tribe posted 11 runs against Southwestern Louisiana.
The second inning started as first baseman Elliot Jacobs reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on an error. After Guy Brown was hit by a pitch, Drew Rogers reached on the Rebels second error to load the bases. The Rebels continued their miscues as Todd Boucher lofted a soft line drive to second base which was lost in the sun and was dropped to score Jacobs.
The Tribe scored its second run on a wild pitch and tied the game at three apiece on a Josh Allison single through the left side. The Indians' inning was only starting as Michael Williams Jr. and Brett Kinning kept things going with back-to-back run scoring singles. After Kevin Kull Jr. reached on an infield single to load the bases for the second time in the inning, Brown came up and delievered a two run single.
The Indians capped off the inning as they welcomed in Ole Miss reliever Lance Lynn abruptly as Rogers crushed a three-run home run over the right center field wall to put ASU up, 10-3. The Tribe scored the 10 runs as it pounded out seven hits and took advantage of three Ole Miss errors in the impressive inning.
The Rebels pulled within four runs as they scored three more in the bottom of the fourth inning to chase Brewer from the game. Ole Miss scored three runs on three hits in the inning as they narrowed the Tribe's lead to 10-6.
The Indians answered right back in the top of the fifth inning as they plated two runs off of Lynn. Allison started things off by drawing a walk and came home to score from first base on a double into the left center field gap by Kinning. The Tribe added its 12th run of the game as junior Hudson Smart lined a single up the middle to bring home Kinning.
The Indians continued to add to their lead in the top of the sixth inning as Jacobs welcomed Ole Miss reliever Will Kline to the game unkindly. Jacobs took the first pitch that Kline delivered and sent it towering over the center field wall to give ASU a 13-8 lead.
The Tribe closed out its scoring with another run in the top of the eighth inning as it added some insurance. The inning started with a single by Kull down the left field and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Brown added his second run scoring hit of the game as he lined a single to center field to plate ASU's 14th run of the game.
Brewer picked up a no decision as he lasted just three 2/3 innings and was charged with six runs on four hits as he walked four batters. Doug Gunderson (2-0) picked up the win in relief of Brewer as he worked three 1/3 innings of work and allowed just two runs on one hit. Senior Brian Schuck continued his strong play of late as he tossed one inning of relief and allowed one run while Tim Egart pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.
Bukvich (0-2) picked up the loss as he lasted just one 2/3 innings before being chased from the game. He allowed nine runs, only three earned, as he gave up seven hits. Lynn gave up three runs in three 1/3 innings of relief despite striking out nine batters.
Brown posted his first career multiple hit game as he posted two hits, drove in three runs and scored a pair of runs. Smart added three hits in the victory for the Tribe as nine different Indians recorded a hit including five players posting multiple hit games. The victory was the Tribe's second of the season against a team from the Southeastern Conference.
The Indians will be back in action this weekend as the Tribe travels to Starkville, Miss. for a three-game series with nationally ranked Mississippi State.
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