OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Alabama baseball team suffered a 7-2 loss to Ole Miss in the series opener on Friday evening in front of 8,456 fans at Swayze Field.
The Crimson Tide sits at 13-17 overall and 2-8 in Southeastern Conference play following Friday’s game.
Ole Miss starter James McArthur (2-1) earned his second win of the season, going seven innings and allowing just one run. McArthur allowed two hits and issued three walks while striking out seven. The right-hander gave up a leadoff walk and a pair of wild pitches in the top of the first to allow his only run on the night before settling in, eventually retiring the final 10 batters he faced before his night was over.
Tide starter Dylan Duarte (2-2) worked five-plus innings and allowed five runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in the losing effort. Duarte cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four before running into trouble in the fourth. A four-run frame gave the Rebels all the runs they would need, and then a solo home run to lead off the sixth ended the lefty’s night.
The Rebels recorded five extra-base hits including three doubles and two home runs as part of their nine total hits for the series-opening win.
Alabama and Ole Miss meet for game two of the series Saturday afternoon at Swayze Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. with senior right-hander Nick Eicholtz on the mound for the Crimson Tide and lefty David Parkinson, a junior, countering for the Rebels.
