JONESBORO, Ark. (4/18/23) – Ole Miss had to come back from an early 2-0 deficit to overtake the Arkansas State baseball team 6-3 Tuesday night at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field in front a season-best attendance of 1,023.
The Red Wolves (12-21) took an early lead with a two-run first inning, but the 2022 College World Series champion Rebels (21-16) bounded back to take a 4-3 lead with a run in the seventh. A-State had the go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth with two outs, but Ole Miss reliever Mitch Murrell recorded a swinging strikeout to earn the save.
A-State used nine hurlers in the contest, with Brian Veniard tossing two shutout frames in the starting nod before Hunter Draper followed with a pair of scoreless innings of relief. Aaron Evers (1-3) took the loss, pitching one-third of an inning.
Wil French went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a walk, helping the Scarlet and Black record 10 hits. Brayden Caskey also tallied two hits, while Brandon Hager went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Ole Miss pounded out 11 hits, led by Peyton Chatagnier's 3-for-5 outing. Anthony Calarco scored twice and went 2-for-4, while Ethan Lege went 2-for-3 with a triple. Outfielder Kemp Alderman, who also registered the first two outs of the bottom of the ninth on the mound, went 2-for-5. John Kramer drove in a pair of runs in his 2-for-4 night, scoring a run.
The Red Wolves roughed up Rebel starter Jordan Vera for two runs on five hits in just two innings of work, picking up RBI singles by Blake Burris and Cail in the bottom of the first after Veniard retired the side in the top of the stanza.
Ole Miss tied it with two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI fielder's choice by Ethan Groff and a bases-loaded walk issued to Calvin Harris, but A-State scratched back with a sac fly by Hager in the bottom of the inning to score French and make it 3-2.
The Rebels went on to plate four unanswered runs across the final four innings to support Mason Nichols (2-3), who pitched 3.0 shutout innings to earn the win. Lege led off the sixth with a triple, scoring on an RBI single by Kramer to tie up the contest at 3-3.
In the seventh, a wild pitch allowed Calarco to slide across home plate, putting the visitors on top 4-3. The Rebels added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth on RBI base hits by Lege and Kramer.
After Alderman quickly retired the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, Burris extended the inning with a walk before moving to third when Hager roped a 3-2 pitch to center for a single. Darcy was then plunked on a 3-2 count to load the bases, lifting Alderman for Murrell, who struck out the only batter he faced for his first save of the season.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State continues its five-game home stand with a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field, hosting ULM Friday-Sunday. First pitch for Friday's series opener is slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+, with the radio broadcast of all three outings carried on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9 and 970 AM in Jonesboro, as well as online at 953theticket.com.
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