OMAHA, NE — The Ole Miss baseball offense threw the first punch in the College World Series against North Carolina but could not deliver the knockout blow.
It was uncharacteristic for the Rebels, who were 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament before getting to Omaha.
“It’s disappointing we weren’t able to finish,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “That doesn’t happen much to us.”
No. 5 North Carolina beat the Rebels 6-2 on June 12 in the first day of action in the CWS. Ole Miss will face Troy in an elimination game on June 14 (1 p.m., ESPN).
Ole Miss built a 1-0 lead, and was up 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, but the Rebels stranded eight runners failed to add insurance runs when the game was close. It proved costly when UNC delivered a three-run home run in the eighth as a knockout blow.
The two runs were the fewest Ole Miss (41-22) has scored in the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels had scored at least five in every game.
Bianco attributed the quiet day to taking North Carolina’s best pitch.
UNC starter Jason DeCaro entered the game with the No. 10 ERA in the nation (2.28). He went 6⅔ innings and allowed two runs.
“DeCaro, obviously his numbers are really good, but he locates it very well,” Ole Miss third baseman Judd Utermark said. “His stuff is great. But that’s not what gets guys in trouble. It’s not the strikeouts, necessarily, even though we had quite a few tonight. It was more of the weak contact that he produces.”
Ole Miss got eight hits but was held without a home run. The Rebels hit seven home runs in their first five NCAA Tournament games.
The Rebels also stuck out 11 times and worked just three walks.
The Tar Heels (51-12-1) relieved DeCaro with one of the nine players in the nation with a better ERA. Caden Glauber, who entered with a 2.20 ERA good for No. 7 nationally, pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings.
“We knew that going in,” Bianco said. “We knew that obviously DeCaro was a true ace and (Glauber is) an All-American closer.”
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Ole Miss’ offense struggled vs UNC in College World Series
