OXFORD, MS — For the third straight game, East Carolina took the initial lead at Ole Miss and for the third straight day, the Rebels rallied to win.
The Pirates (0-3) had leads of 2-0 and 6-2 but Ole Miss came back for an 8-6 victory to earn a series sweep.
ECU started the season No. 10 in the USA Today coaches poll and the Rebels were ranked No. 24.
A crowd of 9,459 saw Ole Miss (3-0) score five times in the bottom of the sixth after the Pirates had taken a 6-2 lead with four runs in the top of the frame.
Ryan Olenek’s two-run double put the Rebels ahead to stay at 7-6.
Dwanya Williams-Sutton and T.J. Riles had hits for ECU in the first inning. Travis Watkins’ two-run single gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Cole Zabowski’s two-run homer off freshman starter Trey Benton tied the score at 2 in the second.
Eric Tyler and Spencer Brickhouse had singles in the sixth to start ECU’s four-run explosion. Watkins drove in the go-ahead run with a double down the right field line. Luke Bolka was walked intentionally with one out.
Charlie Yorgen’s two-run single extended the lead to 5-2. Bolka came home on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Barber.
Will Golsan had an RBI single as Ole Miss answered in the sixth. Zabowski’s two-run single trimmed ECU’s lead to 6-5.
The Pirates loaded the bases with none out in the eighth but Dallas Woolfolk came in with three straight strikeouts to quell the threat.
Woolfolk finished with five whiffs in two innings in picking up his first save.
Zabowski went 2-for-4 with four RBIs to lead Ole Miss offensively.
Hunter Hood (0-1), one of seven Pirate pitchers, faced one batter. Ryan Rolison (1-0), one of five to take the mound for Ole Miss, pitched one inning and got the win.
Watkins was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Yorgen went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Pirates visit Campbell (2-1) on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. start.
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