OXFORD, Miss. – Florida’s young pitching staff took a beating Saturday as No. 17 Mississippi banged out 19 hits and four innings of three or more runs in a 15-3 victory over the No. 2 Gators before 8,699 fans at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
The lopsided victory gave Mississippi (19-5 overall, 4-1 SEC West) the series victory over coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s Gators (17-5, 3-2 SEC East). The two teams finish the three-game series Sunday at 2 p.m. CSS will televise the game.
Florida freshman Hudson Randall (2-1) left the game without getting an out in the second inning, allowing six hits and five earned runs with a pair of wild pitches thrown in. He was replaced by sophomore left-hander Nick Maronde, who was touched for three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks.
Sophomore left-hander Anthony DeSclafani and senior right-hander Chas Spottswood each threw three innings, with DeSclafani allowing five earned runs on six hits and three walks. Spottswood was touched for five hits and two earned runs over the final three innings.
Ole Miss led 8-2 after two innings, added another run in the third and then scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, much to the delight of its fans. Leadoff hitter Tim Ferguson went 5-fo-5, scoring four runs. Zach Miller had three hits, while Tanner Mathis, Alex Yarbrough, Taylor Hightower and Matt Smith had two hits each. Both Smith and Yarbrough drove in three runs for the Rebels.
Senior right-hander Aaron Barrett (6-0) and reliever Matt Crouse combined to limit the Gators to seven hits. Barrett allowed all three runs on four hits and six walks. But he had nine of the 11 strikeouts the duo had against the Gators.
Two of the Florida runs came in the top of the first inning. Matt den Dekker walked to lead off the inning. After a strikeout, Preston Tucker then had a single to right that moved den Dekker to third with Tucker taking second on the throw. Freshman Austin Maddox (2-for-5), who had his 11th multi-hit game of the season, singled to center to produce the two runs. But after Nolan Fontana walked, Barrett finished the inning by striking out two more batters.
Florida got its final run in the fifth when Josh Adams singled to lead off the inning and then scored on Fontana’s two-out double.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Conference Overall
EASTERN DIVISION W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
South Carolina 5-0 1.000 19-4 .826
Vanderbilt 4-2 .667 21-4 .840
Florida 3-2 .600 17-5 .773
Georgia 1-4 .200 9-14 .391
Kentucky 1-5 .167 16-8 .667
Tennessee 0-6 .000 11-13 .458
WESTERN DIVISION W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
Louisiana State 5-1 .750 20-3 .870
Mississippi 4-1 .800 19-5 .792
Arkansas 3-2 .600 17-5 .773
Auburn 3-2 .600 16-7 .696
Alabama 2-3 .400 16-5 .762
Mississippi State 1-4 .200 13-10 .565
SCHEDULE
All times are Eastern
FRIDAY / March 26
Mississippi 3, Florida 2
Louisiana State 6, Tennessee 2
Vanderbilt 7, Kentucky 0
South Carolina 11, Auburn 5
Arkansas 9, Alabama 8
Mississippi State 9, Georgia 8
SATURDAY / March 27
Mississippi 15, Florida 3
Louisiana State 10-8, Tennessee 6-6
South Carolina 2, Auburn 0
Vanderbilt 2-9, Kentucky 1-8
Georgia 7, Mississippi State 4
Arkansas 4, Alabama 3
SUNDAY / March 28
Florida (TBA) at Mississippi (TBA), 2 p.m. (CSS)
Louisiana State (Jr. RHP Anthony Ranaudo / 0-0, 0.00 ERA) at Tennessee (So. LHP Steven Gruver / 1-0, 3.00 ERA), 2 p.m.
Alabama (Fr. LHP Taylor Wolfe / 2-0, 3.00 ERA) at Arkansas (Jr. RHP Brett Eibner / 2-2, 2.18 ERA), 2 p.m. (CST)
South Carolina (Fr. LHP Tyler Webb / 1-1, 2.53 ERA) at Auburn (TBA), 2 p.m.
Kentucky (So. RHP Alex Meyer / 4-2, 6.51 ERA) at Vanderbilt (So. RHP Jack Armstrong / 3-0, 3.16 ERA), 2 p.m.
Georgia (So. RHP Michael Palazzone / 3-2, 9.15 ERA) at Mississippi State (TBA), 2:30 p.m.
TUESDAY / March 30
Kentucky at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.
Florida vs. Florida State at Jacksonville (Baseball Grounds), 7 p.m. (SUN)
The Citadel at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Tennessee, 7 p.m.
Wofford at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m.
Mississippi State vs. Mississippi State at Pearl, Miss. (Trustmark Park), 7:30 p.m.
Jacksonville State at Alabama, 7:35 p.m.
Centenary at Arkansas, 7:35 p.m.
WEDNESDAY / March 31
Centenary at Arkansas, 4:05 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m.
Auburn at Troy, 7 p.m.
Presbyterian College at Tennessee, 7 p.m.
Wofford at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m.
Alabama vs. UAB at Hoover, Ala. (Regions Park), 7:30 p.m.
Binghamton at Louisiana State, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY / April 2
Vanderbilt at Florida, 6:30 p.m.
Auburn at Alabama, 7 p.m. (CSS)
Mississippi State at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Tennessee at Mississippi, 7:30 p.m.
Kentucky at Arkansas, 7:35 p.m.
Georgia at Louisiana State, 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
SATURDAY / April 3
Kentucky at Arkansas, 3:05 p.m.
Vanderbilt at Florida, 4 p.m. (SUN)
Mississippi State at South Carolina, 4 p.m. (CSS)
Auburn at Alabama, 5 p.m.
Georgia at Louisiana State, 5 p.m. (FSN)
Tennessee at Mississippi, 5 p.m.
SUNDAY / April 4
Vanderbilt at Florida, 1 p.m. (SUN)
Georgia at Louisiana State, 1 p.m. (CSS)
Tennessee at Mississippi, 2 p.m.
Mississippi State at South Carolina, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)
Kentucky at Arkansas, 2:05 p.m.
Auburn at Alabama, 3 p.m.