Murray State uses grand slam to down Ole Miss in midweek marathon
OXFORD — Senior leftfielder Jackson Ross drew a game-tying, bases-loaded walk on a full count with two outs in the ninth Wednesday night against Murray State to send the game to extra innings. The Racers took the lead on a Drew Vogel grand slam in the 15th — ending five scoreless innings for both teams — as Murray State beat Ole Miss 12-9 Wednesday night at Swayze Field in the Rebels’ last home midweek game of the season.
Ole Miss (25-23) led the game 7-3 after six innings before the Racers tied the game with four runs in the seventh and took the lead with a run in the eighth. Senior pinch hitter Reagan Burford hit a double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and centerfielder Ethan Groff and sophomore third baseman Andrew Fischer were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Ross then calmly drew the game-tying, bases loaded walk. That was all the scoring until the 15th, when Vogel took the second pitch he saw to centerfield for the game-winning runs.
Freshman designated hitter Campbell Smithwick hit the first home run of his college career and finished with a team-high four hits and three RBIs. Fischer hit his fourth home run in as many games.
“Offensively, (Smithwick’s) played really well. Proud of him. He’s got some really good swings off,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said.
Ole Miss scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a pair of bases-loaded walks. The Racers tied the game in the second on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Smithwick mashed a solo shot to right in the fourth — a ball hit so hard the right fielder stopped giving chase — giving Ole Miss back its lead. Fischer hit his team-leading 19th home run in the bottom of the fifth, a towering solo home run into the Rebels’ bullpen. Smithwick drove in another run in the fifth.
Sophomore starter Grayson Saunier pitched 4.1 innings with two earned runs allowed, five strikeouts and three walks.
Murray State (31-18) scored a run in the sixth, and the Rebels answered back with two in bottom of the inning, including an RBI double from sophomore first baseman Will Furniss. The Racers tied the game in the seventh with four runs, capped off by a three-run home from Jonathan Hogart. Ethan Krizen gave Murray State the lead in the eighth with an RBI single.
Spencer pitched 2.1 perfect innings before giving way to sophomore Mason Morris (1.1 scoreless) and sophomore J.T. Quinn. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Murray State, bringing sophomore Brayden Jones into the game for Quinn. Vogel hit the deciding grand slam on a 1-0 count.
Junior pinch hitter Treyson Hughes hit a home run with two outs in the 15th, but freshman catcher Trenton Lyons flew out to end the game.
Bianco also told reporters freshman pitcher Austin Simmons has a sprained UCL and will not pitch the remainder of the season but would be undergoing traditional rehabilitation. Senior left fielder Ethan Lege will not play this weekend, Bianco said, as he is still recovering from a fractured thumb sustained last Wednesday against Mississippi State.
“I don’t want to say the football, day-to-day (for Lege) but week-to-week, I guess.”
Ole Miss hosts No. 3 Texas A&M for a three-game series starting Friday at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
