Rebels fall in the desert

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics.

Ole Miss started hot at No. 5 national seed Arizona in the Tucson Super Regional.

But unlike the Arizona desert, the Rebels cooled off in a 9-3 loss to the Wildcats.

After scoring three runs in the of the first inning, Ole Miss watched Arizona score nine unanswered runs and move within one game of the College World Series.

The Wildcats, the nation’s most prolific scoring teams, belted four home runs in the win.

Arizona center fielder Donta Williams, designated hitter Jacob Berry and third baseman Tony Bullard all homered for the Wildcats.

Williams led off the game with a home run to dead center fielder.  He capped the scoring with a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the eighth inning.  He finished 3-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBIs.

Bullard cracked a pair of solo home runs in the second and fourth innings as UA tied the game at 3-3. Bullard finished 3-for-4 with one triple, two home runs and two RBIs.

Berry gave the Wildcats their first lead with two-run homer that measured 444-feet in the fifth inning to make it 5-3.

Ole Miss scored three runs in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead.

Third baseman Justin Bench stroked an RBI double and centerfielder T.J McCants added a two-run single.

The Arizona bullpen, down two left-handed relievers due to school suspensions, worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the win.

Prior to the game the Tucson.com reported that Randy Abshier and Gil Luna were placed on interim suspension by the UA's dean of students office after a recent off-campus incident involving other university students. The two were deemed to have violated the student code of conduct.

The Wildcats pitching staff also neutralized Ole Miss slugger Tim Elko.  He was intentionally walked in the first inning but later scored on McCants two-run single. Elko struck out in his other three plate appearances.