Aggies Blank Ole Miss, 4-0

Thursday, May 14

Oxford, MS

6:30 PM

Texas A&M

43-9, 18-9

Ole Miss

29-25, 14-14

Texas A&M

Ole Miss

May 14, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Oxford, Mississippi – Junior pitchers Grayson Long and Andrew Vinson combined to hold the Ole Miss Rebels to two hits as the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies cruised to a 4-0 win Thursday evening at Swayze Field.

Long (9-0) scattered two hits and three walks while striking out 12 over 7.0 frames. Vinson struck out four of the seven batters he faced, walking one in 2.0 innings.

After Ole Miss starter Christian Trent opened the game with four perfect frames, Texas A&M broke the scoring seal in the top of the fifth. Logan Taylor punched a single through the left side to start the frame and Nick Banks roped a single to center. After Banks was retired at second on Hunter Melton's fielders choice grounder to second to put runners on the corners, Logan Nottebrok threaded a double between the foul line and the third baseman to plate Taylor, staking A&M to a 1-0 lead.

With one out in the sixth, Ryne Birk launched a 1-2 offering into the visitors' bullpen in rightfield to increase the advantage to 2-0.

Texas A&M (43-9, 18-9 SEC) manufactured another run in the seventh. Banks led off the frame with a single to right field and with one out he stole second base as Nottebrok was swinging and missing at strike three. With two outs, GR Hinsley drove a 2-2 pitch to shallow centerfield, knocking in Banks with a pinch-hit single for the 3-0 margin.

In the eighth, the Aggies continued to put up a picket fence with a run in their fourth consecutive inning. Blake Allemand started the inning with an infield single to short. He was replaced at first on a fielder's choice grounder to second by Birk. Birk moved to second on a grounder back to the mound by Mitchell Nau and came around to score when Taylor laced a single to rightfield, inflating the Aggie cushion to 4-0.

Ole Miss (29-25, 14-14 SEC) put a runner in scoring position in three different innings, including twice with no outs, but Long used strikeouts to get out of all three jams.

In the fifth, Austin Knight hit a leadoff single, but Long fanned a pair and induced an inning ending flyout. In the sixth, Cameron Dishon drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and moved to third on a fly out to rightfield. After Will Golsan drew a walk by watching a full count pitch near the strike zone, Long struck out the Rebels' big boppers, catching Colby Bortles looking and whiffing Sikes Orvis. Long struck out three in the seventh, including two after JB Woodman doubled to left-center.

Trent (7-6) was saddled with the loss for Ole Miss. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six over 6.2 innings.

With the win, Texas A&M secured one of the top four seeds at next week's SEC Tournament, guaranteeing the Aggies will begin play on Wednesday.

The series continues on Friday with a 6:30 pm contest at Swayze Field.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES

Head Coach Rob Childress
On the game…
"That was competitive, championship baseball. That was the best we've played defensively and on the mound in a few weeks. Offensively, we had good at-bats and got hits in key situations."

On Grayson Long's performance…
"That is the best Grayson has looked this year. We needed a strong outing from him to set the tone for the weekend and heading into the tournament. He had great command of his pitches and was tough to hit. He got even better when Ole Miss got guys in scoring position."