Thomas Dillard's walk-off home run helps Rebels escape Dirtbags

OXFORD | Dylan Spacke fell behind Thomas Dillard with three straight balls and attempted a get-me-over fastball on the fourth pitch.

With everyone in the stadium knowing there was a green light, Dillard didn't miss it, sending Spacke's offering out of Swayze Field for a walk-off home run that gave Ole Miss a 7-6 victory to clinch the series against Long Beach State.

Game three begins at 5:45 p.m. Long Beach State is 0-9 on the season, and Ole Miss is 7-2.

It's the first time this season Long Beach State allowed a home run. Dillard was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on the afternoon prior to the at-bat with one out in the ninth inning. It's Dillard's sixth home run of the season.

The Rebels escaped a bases loaded, one out jam in the top of the ninth to set up the situation. Doug Nikhazy threw a wild pitch that Cooper Johnson quickly tracked down and flipped back for a putout at the plate. for a second out. Grae Kessinger corralled a grounder and threw across to get out of the jam.

Ole Miss overcame three different deficits and scored six runs in the final three at-bats. Back-to-back doubles from Ryan Olenek and Tyler Keenan gave Ole Miss a 4-2 lead in the seventh, and an Anthony Servideo RBI single and Grae Kessinger RBI ground out tied things at six after Long Beach scored four in the top of the eighth.

The Dirtbags scored more than three runs for the first time this season thanks to the eighth that featured three Parker Caracci walks in four batters. The Ole Miss closer threw only seven strikes out of 19 pitches and gave way to Nikhazy, who got a double play following a double and a single.

Zack Phillips allowed two runs on four hits in five innings for his best start of the season, and Connor Green was perfect through two relief innings.

Olenek had three hits including two doubles.