Late rally lifts Rebels past Ragin Cajuns to force a third game

Sixth-ranked Ole Miss used a three-run rally in the eighth inning to defeat the top-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team 5-2 in the Lafayette Super Regional Sunday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field, forcing a winner-take-all championship game today at 6 p.m.
The game can be seen live on ESPN2 with Tom Hart and Ben McDonald making the call. The winner of the contest will be one of the final teams in the tournament to punch their ticket to Omaha and the College World Series.
The loss drops the Cajuns to 58-9 this season, while the Rebels move to 45-19. Louisiana is 6-2 this season against SEC opponents.
Junior Carson Baranik (11-2) was tabbed with the loss despite his 10th quality start of the season, holding the potent Ole Miss offense to three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks in seven innings.
Reliever Aaron Greenwood (3-1) earned the victory for Mississippi, throwing two innings to close out the game, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Starter Christian Trent had a quality start for the Rebels, limiting the Cajuns to one unearned run in seven innings and fanned seven.
Offensively, Louisiana-Lafayette was outhit 8-6 in the contest by Mississippi. Sophomore shortstop Blake Trahan had a game-high three hits and drove in a run for the Ragin’ Cajuns, while Preston Overbey and Errol Robinson each had two hits for the Rebels.
Ole Miss grabbed an early lead for the second consecutive game on a two-out RBI-double to right field by catcher Will Allen to go in front 1-0.
The Cajuns got the equalizing run in the top of the fifth. Seth Harrison reached on an error by second baseman Preston Overbey with two outs in the inning. In the next at-bat, Dylan Butler drilled a double down the left field line. Harrison was waved home on the play, attempting to score from first and was called safe on a play at the plate as Allen dropped the ball on a tag play.