OXFORD — Right-hander Sam Smith turned in another strong start, but No. 13 Ole Miss lost to No. 12 LSU 2-0 on Saturday in the third game of the Southeastern Conference weekend series.
The loss marked the first time this season Ole Miss (30-11, 10-8 SEC) has been shut out.
“Early on we didn’t get any hits or base runners,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. “Unfortunately, today was one of those bad offensive days. It happens in baseball over 56 games. We really couldn’t mount anything. We had a few base hits but didn’t really threaten at all. We rarely, if ever, got the leadoff guy on. It was disappointing offensively.”
Smith (5-3) worked 7 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. He took the loss despite turning in his eighth-consecutive quality start of the season. Left-hander Wyatt Short didn’t allow a hit in the final 1 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Hunter Devall (1-0) picked up the win, working 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Alden Cartwright, who went four innings. Four LSU pitchers combined to limit Ole Miss to six hits. They struck out four and walked one.
LSU (30-10-1, 10-7-1 SEC) scored the first run in the third inning when Connor Hale scored from third on a single to center from Andrew Stevenson. Hale reached on a single through the left side and took second on a passed ball on an intended pitch out. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third and set up the score on the Stevenson hit.
A double to left from Mark Laird put two in scoring position as Stevenson went first-to-third on the play, but the Rebels escaped the jam in the next at bat. Jake Fraley flew out to left and Braxton Lee gunned Stevenson out at home for a double play to end the inning and keep the Tiger lead to one run.
The Rebels couldn’t get anything started down the stretch, putting runners in scoring position in the fourth, but a double play ended the attempted rally for the best chance to get a run home up to that point.
LSU added an insurance run in the eighth, when Hale hit a solo shot into the bullpen in left field.
Ole Miss again got a man in scoring position in the eighth with a double to right center from Sikes Orvis, but couldn’t get him home as a groundout ended the potential two-out rally.
n On Friday, Ole Miss took an early lead and responded to a rally by LSU with four unanswered runs in a 5-1 victory.
Christian Trent (5-0) picked up the win, working seven innings. He allowed one unearned run on seven hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. Right-hander Scott Weathersby didn’t allow a hit and struck out four in the final two innings.
Jared Poche’ (6-3) took the loss, allowing four runs — two of them earned — on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings.
“Christian (Trent) was terrific,” Bianco said. “I’m really proud of him because he pitched similar to the way he’s pitched for nine weeks. He was very efficient and attacked the strike zone.
“The first six at bats Lee and Bousfield got hits or got on base. Braxton Lee has been swinging so well for the last few weeks or so. He has so much confidence and when he gets on, something is going to happen. He can take the extra base, steal or hit and run.
Ole Miss will face Mississippi State in the annual Governor’s Cup Game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
n No. 8 Alabama 7, Tennessee 6: At Knoxville, Tenn., the Crimson Tide scored the final six runs to erase a five-run deficit and beat the Volunteers at Nelson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Alabama (28-11, 12-5 SEC) will go for the sweep at 1 p.m. today. Alabama is slated to start left-hander Jon Keller (5-1, 1.86 ERA). Tennessee (24-13, 6-11 SEC) will counter with right-hander Kyle Serrano (3-2, 4.91).
Alabama scored the first run in the top of the first, Tennessee took a 6-1 lead after five innings. Trailing by five, Alabama responded with two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to tie the game at 6-6 before scoring the winning run in the ninth. The game-winning run came when Tennessee’s Josh Peterson hit Chance Vincent with two outs and the bases loaded.
Jay Shaw (2-3), Alabama’s third pitcher, threw 2 1/3 innings and didn’t allow a run. He surrendered one hit, walked one, and struck out one. Thomas Burrows threw a scoreless ninth to pick up his second save of the series, and eighth of the season.
Any Cox (3-1) allowed four runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out four.
The Crimson Tide recorded their 22nd game of the season with 10 or more hits. Wade Wass and Kyle Overstreet accounted for half of the Tide’s hits in the game. Wass was 3-for-5 with a home run and his team leading 14th double of the season, to go along with an RBI and two runs scored. Overstreet was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored
Ben Moore was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, Casey Hughston had a pair of singles, and Vincent was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. He drove in the game-tying run in the seventh and the game-winning run in the ninth.
Tennessee had nine hits. Pierce Bily was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Christin Stewart was 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI, and Nick Senzel was 2-for-5 with a triple.
n On Friday, Alabama had 10 hits for its fifth-straight game with double-digit hits in an 8-5 victory.
Hughston was 2-for-4 with two singles and two RBIs. Moore was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI, Wass extended his hitting streak to six games with a 1-for-4 night, and Georgie Salem also hit in his sixth-straight game with a 2-for-3 performance. Will Haynie hit a solo home run and scored two runs.
Junior Spencer Turnbull (5-2) started and went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on three hits with a career-high eight strikeouts. Three of the four runs came in the seventh, as Turnbull allowed a run on two hits before giving up two hits and two walks in the bottom of the inning.
Tennessee starter Nick Williams (4-4) took the loss. He allowed eight runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Alabama closer Thomas Burrows entered the game with one out and the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate in the eighth. He retired all five batters he faced, including three strikeouts. It was Burrows’ seventh save, and the sixth save in his last eight appearances.
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