By Taylor Rayburn/TLV
In dramatic fashion, Ole Miss came from behind to defeat Mississippi State on Saturday 8-7. With the win the Rebels claimed a clean sweep of the Bulldogs in men’s major sports for 2014-15, the first time since 1972.
The Rebels improved to 28-24 overall and 14-13 in SEC play.
“Graduation, a bunch of weird stuff has been happening today,” said Sikes Orvis. “Why not something weird happen.”
The game started out slow for the Rebels. Mississippi State scored five runs before Ole Miss got there first by way of a Orvis solo Home Run in the fourth inning. Then the Orvis hit a second solo shot in the sixth inning. Then the Bulldogs scored twice in the ninth inning to take a 7-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
“I have just been seeing the ball really well,” said Orvis on his home runs. “Just taking what they are giving me.”
Fans, thinking the game was over, started leaving the stadium, something many soon regretted. Then with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Rebels had men on first a second, Bulldog pitcher Zac Houston walks Kyle Watson, bases loaded. Houston then pegs Henri Lartigue to send Orvis home, 7-3. Then, to the tune of “She thinks my tractor’s sexy”, Errol Robinson, the tying run, walks to the plate and hits a single to send J.B. Woodman home, 7-4.
“Nobody has a flair for the dramatic more than Errol,” said Ole Miss Head Coach Mike Bianco. “I mean that as a complement, that is why he is so good, he’s his best when the game is on the line.”
Then Houston walks Will Golson, 7-5. The crowd is loud, adrenaline is pumping. Up comes Colby Bortles, who hits a two RBI single, sending Lartigue and Robinson home, 7-7. Five runs, all with two outs. Off to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, Wyatt Short comes in for the third night in a row. He has saves in games one and two. He steps up to the mound and strikes out the first two batters he faces and gets the third on a groundout that is picked up by Orvis who casually walks over to first base to get the third out. Short, a Southaven Mississippi native, played in all three games this weekend. He stuck out four batters in three total innings played, he recorded two saves and one win.
“That is one of the things that will get lost today, how special he (Shorts) was,” said Bianco. “Two saves and a win, pitching three days in a row against your arch rival, Mississippi kid, what a terrific weekend for Wyatt.”
In the bottom of the tenth, Austin Knight steps up to the plate and is walked by Bulldog pitcher Dakota Hudson. J.B. Woodman grounds out to first pace sending Knight to second. Then off of a wild pitch Knight advances to third. In comes Tate Blackman, a 6ft 190 pound speedster, to pitch run for Austin Knight.
“You gotta put your fastest guy in,” said Bianco. “Fortunately we still had a fast position player left in Tate Blackman.”
Up to the plate comes true freshman Nic Perkins, who had been on fire this series. Getting multiple hits in both games one and two. All he need was one tonight, and he got it. A single to left field that sent Blackman home to win the game. The dog pile on first base was special.
“There was a lot of people laying on me, I didn’t realize our team was so heavy,” said Perkins. “I has just been an amazing weekend, the whole atmosphere has just been awesome.”
The Rebels now turn their focus towards Arkansas State on Tuesday. After that they play their last series of the regular season against #2 Texas A&M; for some Rebels the last games they play at Swayze field.
“Rivalry games anything can happen, when I was walking up in the bottom of the ninth that was the loudest I have ever heard this stadium,” said Orvis. “I don’t have too many games left in Swayze, but this will definitely go down as one of the better ones.”
