Rebels' bullpen struggles in another series-deciding game
Apr. 18—STARKVILLE — The Ole Miss bullpen found the strike zone Sunday ... too much of it.
Ole Miss relievers walked 17 and hit two more in last Sunday's 18-14 series-deciding loss to Arkansas.
It wasn't walks but basehit after basehit in the sixth inning as No. 4 Mississippi State rallied for a 7-5 series-clinching win over No. 6 Ole Miss.
Sophomore right-hander Drew McDaniel, replacing Derek Diamond in the SEC rotation, gave the Rebels another solid start in the series with three hits, two walks and two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
A week after Arkansas Ole Miss relievers issued no walks but fooled few MSU batters giving up four runs on nine of the Bulldogs' 12 hits.
The first two Ole Miss relievers — Josh Mallitz and Austin Miller — faced six batters and gave up five hits.
A 4-2 Ole Miss lead had become a tie game when Mike BIanco went to his closer, Taylor Broadway, much earlier than he would have liked with two outs in the sixth.
Needing to throw strikes Broadway threw too much of one, getting the middle of the plate with a fastball in a 2-0 count, and Tanner Allen split the outfielders in right-center for a three-run triple, and the Bulldogs led 7-4.
"It comes down to the sixth, and we just couldn't get off the field. We had to use three pitchers to get two outs," Bianco said.
Mallitz, a freshman right-hander, struggled in that outing with three hits, two walks and five runs allowed in 1 1/3 innings.
Just like a week ago, he was the first out of the pen Sunday and gave up hits to Logan Tanner, Josh Hatcher and Brayland Skinner. He left the game with the Rebels' lead trimmed by a run to 4-3.
Austin Miller took over with runners at first and second and got a called strikeout for the second out.
He was ahead 0-2 to Scotty Dubrule, the nine-hole hitter, when Dubrule singled through the left side to tie the game.
Miller took the loss.
Broadway gave up four hits and three inherited runs though none of his own. The 44 pitches were the third-most he's thrown this season.
"We probably did enough (offensively) especially with the way Drew pitched, but we just couldn't get to Broadway. We had to go to him early. It's just a shame," Bianco said.
