Auburn, Ala. (EETV) - Ole Miss's starting pitcher, Dylan DeLucia, was a showstopper in the first game against the No. 14 Auburn Tigers. DeLucia put on a pitching clinic with 10 strikeouts in seven and two-thirds innings and only let up four hits with no walks.
Behind DeLucia, Ole Miss defeated Auburn, 5-1.
"We never could garner any offense," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. "Dylan just set a slider beneath us and a fastball above us. He didn't trick us too much. We could not evaluate the strike zone with him on the mound. It shortens the game for their bullpen, who did a nice job and got to the finish line."
Ole Miss took an early lead in the first inning, scoring two runs on starting pitcher Joseph Gonzalez. The Rebels extended their lead to three runs in the third inning and to five runs in the sixth inning.
Gonzalez was pulled in the sixth inning for lefty reliever Carson Skipper. Gonzalez threw seven strikeouts but let up seven hits and four runs in his time on the mound.
Auburn's Brody Moore got the first hit for the Tigers in the fifth inning. Auburn would wait until the seventh inning for another hit when Garrett Farquhar doubled. Following the double, Sonny Dichiara stepped up to the plate and hit a single to center field to send Farquhar to third. Bobby Peirce brought Farquhar in to score for Auburn's first run of the day.
In the eighth inning, Blake Rambusch reached first base on an error but was picked off to end the inning.
Carson Skipper finished his game with six strikeouts and four hits, and a walk in his four innings played.
Auburn was down by four heading into the game's final frame, but three quick strikeouts from Josh Mallitz ended the game. Mallitz pitched one and one-third innings and produced three strikeouts to close the game.
"Today wasn't really a true testimony to who we are," Skipper said. "Monday's going to be a different story. It's how you respond and bounce back that defines who you are."
Auburn will play No. 2 Stanford on Monday at 1 pm CT on ESPN in an elimination game. Ole Miss will take on Arkansas in the winners' bracket on Monday at 6 pm CT.
