OXFORD — Behind six shutdown innings by redshirt senior Sean Johnson, the Ole Miss baseball team made sure head coach Mike Bianco went home happy on his birthday with a 5-3 victory against Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday afternoon at Swayze Field.
The Rebels (29-17) used a four-run sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and complete the midweek sweep of the Warhawks (12-34).
Johnson (1-0), one of two seniors on the team, took a no-hitter into the seventh. The Durango, Colorado, native finished with a career-high six strikeouts in six innings, which also matched a personal best as a Rebel. Closer Dallas Woolfolk finished the game to earn his 10th save of the season (11th career) and move into the top 10 of the Ole Miss all-time saves list.
Sophomore catcher Nick Fortes, former New Hope High School standout Will Golsan, and Cole Zabowski had two hits apiece to lead the way. Fortes went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, including his third home run in the past two days. Golsan had his team-high 16th multi-hit game of the year, while Zabowski had two singles.
Golsan is second on the team with a .303 batting average. He leads the Rebels with 54 hits. He is third in total bases (72).
Colby Bortles’ team-leading ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot, helped Ole Miss score first.
Six Warhawks had hits, including Tyler Cox, who hit a two-run home run.
ULM starter Stephen Morrison (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks in five innings.
The victory was Ole Miss’ eighth in a row against ULM. It came on Bianco’s 50th birthday.
Ole Miss improved to 7-2 with Bianco as the team’s head coach on his birthday, increasing the birthday winning streak to seven games.
Ole Miss will take on Florida at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Gainesville, Florida, in Game 1 of a three-game Southeastern Conference weekend series.
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