OXFORD, Miss. –Tate Blackman gave the Ole Miss baseball team a walk-off 5-4 victory over Alabama on Saturday with a solo home run in the ninth inning.
The Crimson Tide (13-18, 2-9 SEC) jumped ahead first on a Chandler Taylor’s team-leading eighth home run of the season to make it 1-0 . The Tide added one more in the top of the third on a bases-loaded single from Cody Henry.
Alabama took a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning on Connor Short’s solo home run, his third of the season.
Ole Miss answered in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-1.
In the sixth, Alabama got a one-out double off the warning track in right-center from Taylor for his second extra-base hit. Later, Short executed a squeeze bunt to bring in Taylor to make it 4-1.
A single and a pair of sacrifice flies tied the game for Ole Miss in the bottom of the sixth.
Nick Eicholtz earned the start for Alabama. He allowed five hits with four walks in five innings for the no-decision. Garrett Suchey took the loss, allowing one run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Alabama and Ole Miss return to the diamond at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon for the series finale. The Crimson Tide has not determined a starter while the Rebels will look to freshman left-hander Ryan Rolison. The Sunday matchup can be seen nationally on SEC Network.
