By Jeff Roberson

Ole Miss Athletics

A late Ole Miss rally turned out to not be quite enough in Friday night’s series opener at Swayze Field, and High Point University came out on top 7-3 in the contest.

The Rebels (2-4) and Panthers (2-4) play again at 5 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Rebels trailed 5-0 when they got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jackson Ross singled to get things started, and Bo Gatlin sent him to third base on a hit down the first base line to the corner. But Panther right fielder Konni Durschlag made an excellent throw to shortstop Adam Stuart to get Gatlin as he slid into second. Campbell Smithwick then singled to score Ross to cut the deficit to 5-1.

Then, at the bottom of the seventh, Ole Miss made more offensive noise. An Ethan Lege double was followed by a Ross home run over the left center wall to get the Rebels back in it, trailing 7-3. That would close out the game’s scoring.

In the top of the first, the Panthers scored two runs to set an early tone. In the top of the third, High Point added two more runs. With the Rebels down 4-0, and Panthers on first and third with one out in the fourth inning, Riley Maddox relieved starter JT Quinn. Before the inning was over, another Panther run had crossed the plate for a 5-0 HPU lead heading to the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the seventh, a throwing error led to two more High Point runs as the visitors increased their lead to 7-1. The Rebels followed that by scoring two runs in the bottom of the frame to trail by four, but they were not able to get any runs in the final two innings.

Ross was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Rebels. Lege was 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Gatlin was 2-for-4. Durschlag led High Point with a 4-for-5 game, while Charlie Klingler was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Quinn (0-1) got the loss, allowing five runs, three of them earned, on five hits with six strikeouts and five walks in three and a third innings. Panther starter Brett Wozniak (1-0) picked up the win, working 5.1 innings, the first of three pitchers used by the visiting team.

In addition to Quinn, Maddox went 3.2 innings, allowing one earned run, with three hits, a strikeout, and a walk. Sam Tookoian and Hudson Calhoun pitched one inning each for Ole Miss in the eighth and ninth respectively.