How you feeling today?
Good.
Arm up, don't get out on the side.
Good, go get them, hey do what they haven't done on before you that's attack the
zone, go right at them, be aggressive.
David Parkinson wasn't the only arm getting warm.
The mothers of the Rebels seniors prepared for their moment on the hill.
Every ball player wants to make Mama proud, but when the game is played on
Mother's Day it means even more.
[MUSIC].
Here Comes Golsan the throw is cut, runners at the corners one nothing Ole Miss.
Oh, they got the runner picked off.
And they're going to try to get the run home and they do get the run, yes
they're going to count to run.
Hohman does all he can to try to get the tag but Bortles scores and Ole Miss
puts two on the board.
So that will take us to Hunter Coleman.
Boy, right back to Parkinson, high throw Kessinger great catch
and they turn the double play.
Swing and a miss.
94 miles an hour from David Parkinson.
As good as the day began for Parkinson, the top of the third would find him in a
tight spot that would only get tighter.
By descending everything was up right even the first hitter even though you may
hit a strike you know you threw a lot of balls above the waist, except for the
one fastball that shot in on that guy.
So you got to get back down in the zone because this guy doesn't swing a lot.
But it's left-on-left, ground ball you know, we go for a double play back to
you, you go there.
If you can't get third or first let's get an out.
You know slider first pitch.
You go with the slider; we need to mix it up alright.
Hey listen this is where we talk about,
this that back in here right now, lock in.
Come on.
For me I kind of changed my mind set a little bit when I have runners on base
because I know I'm going to let up hits, I know I'm going to give up a few runs
here and there, but my thing is I'm not going to give up multiple runs in an
inning and then for me that was that was where I really try succeed was just
making that pitch and really focusing on that pitch during the time and just
trying to figure it out.
One of the best hitters in this conference at the plate
in the Freshman Braden Shewmake.
With bases loaded and one out the top of the third
had Parkinson in a surefire pitcher's jam.
Got him to swing and miss down in the dirt and that is not an easy task.
Bases full of Aggies.
And the two-two pitch.
Swing and a miss, he struck him out.
Maybe his best fastball at 94.
Parkinson would ace the test, providing six innings of lockdown pitching.
But as the game moved into the eighth the Rebels clung to a narrow two run lead.
It would take only one swing from Captain Tate Blackman to add another.
One-one swung on, fly ball leftfield that strode
Kopetsky back in the wall, it is gone!
Solo shot, Tate Blackman that will extend the lead by a run,
a Keith Kessinger hit on.
Fortes was just waiting one more pitch and then swing at, and hit a homerun.
If the Rebels were to extend their 4-1 lead they were going to need
senior Colby Bortles to do it.
On my previous at bat I struck out looking on a fast ball and I was really
frustrated about it and I remember walking out to third base and like please
looking up at the scoreboard and was like alright, I'm counting like I'm
counting batters until I'm up next and counting stuff like
something has to go to right.
And then you know we got to the eighth, got a couple hits.
Tate hit home run, you know, Will got on, I was like alright, thank you.
Oh my goodness Bortles deep to left out of here.
Incredible.
Probably the best one that I've been in here at Ole Miss.
I mean that's a guy that I got a lot of respect for, a great guy, great
teammate, great leader and definitely, definitely a great way for him to go out.
You just had a feeling that Colby was going to have a big day in some way.
You know, he's such a good player, rarely has game where he doesn't do something
big like that.
For his Mom to be there and see that, his brother, his whole family Colby
deserves that.
You know he's given so much to this program, such a great leader for all of us
young guys and it was just a really special moment,
I couldn't be happier for him.
Here we go 2-5.
[Cheering].
I think what makes our game so great, there's moments that you can capture,
the true emotion of what's going on,
but that was a special moment certainly, for him.
But I think one of the special moments of my coaching career.
If you watch him running around the bases he's kind of looking around
and looks like he just soaking it in.
Man I was smiling from ear-to-ear the whole time he was running around the bases
and I just couldn't be prouder for anybody that the work and the effort and the
great teammate that he is, couldn't happen to a better guy.
I got goosebumps.
One for mom on Mother's Day in your final game, here in front of the home folks
for the senior who graduated, bringing tears to Mama.
Now my mom was sitting with his mom during the game and she said she started
crying after he hit the home run and it's just such a special moment for a guy
that's given four years to this program and everything that he's got and built
his way up to being the player that he is now and being able to finish his
career like that is just something special.
What did that feel like?
It was a good feeling, good feeling, you know could be the last game I'll play
here and on Mother's Day, so special.
And I'm super proud of the way we played and everything so I'm still taking it
all in right now and it was special, you're starting to make me cry.
It was special you know we got it done and super proud that I hit that home run
for my mom and everything.