Elko's hit completes ninth-inning rally for Rebels
Feb. 27—OXFORD — After 20-straight wins No. 1 Ole Miss was on the edge of two-straight losses, but struggling team captain Tim Elko turned things around.
The Rebels rallied in the bottom of the ninth with four hits against Central Florida closer David Litchfield to win 6-5 at Swayze Field Saturday afternoon.
The win tied the series after UCF claimed a streak-busting 3-2 victory Friday night. Game 3 will start at 5:15
Litchfield had pitched two innings for the save Friday.
Elko was hitting just .095 and had fallen behind 0-2 in the count when he took a Litchfield pitch the opposite way down the right field line. Justin Bench scored the game-winner easily.
Bench play was big with half of the Rebels' ninth-inning hits. Reserve first baseman Trey LaFleur led off the ninth with a home run, and Calvin Harris, pinch-hitting for John Rhys Plumlee, had a one-out double.
Justin Bench, the starter at second base, singled home Harris to tie the game at 5 and took third when Kevin Graham reached on an error.
Before the ninth Ole Miss (5-1) had not scored since a three-run third inning, and Nos. 2-5 in the batting order were 1 for 11.
Ole Miss starting pitcher Gunnar Hoglund didn't figure into the decision but went a career-long 7.0 innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
He gave up back-to-back 1-out singles in the seventh but got the third out on a strikeout with the bases loaded to preserve a 3-2 lead.
The Knights took the lead in the eighth with a three-run home run against Ole Miss reliever Braden Forsyth.
