OXFORD, Miss. (April 23, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team out-hit Ole Miss 8-7 on Tuesday, but fell to the Rebels 9-4 in Oxford, Miss. Gehrig Frei launched his team-leading 11th home run in the fifth inning and tacked on a double to improve his season batting average to .347. 
 
The Lions fall to 14-24 on the season, while the Rebels improve to 22-18. 
 
After Ole Miss jumped ahead to a 5-0 lead, the North Alabama bats woke up, stringing together four runs across the next two innings on a pair of homers. Andrew Knight picked up a solo shot in the fourth just before Frei launched a three-run homer in the fifth. The Lions held Ole Miss to just one run for the final four innings, but were unable to complete the comeback.
 
John Allen Stogner started the day on the bump for North Alabama and tossed two scoreless frames to open up his sixth start of the season. Stogner's outing was highlighted by a pair of punchouts before giving way to the UNA bullpen in the third. 
 
Ole Miss capitalized on the pitching changes, bringing home a pair of inherited runners before a three-run home run pushed the lead out to 5-0. 
 
Knight rocketed a solo home run to start off the fourth inning and put UNA on the board. Ole Miss responded with three runs of their own in the home half. Carson Howard entered to pitch for UNA before escaping a jam to limit the damage. 
 
Bryant Loving and Jackson Ferrigno each tallied singles in the fifth inning to put two runners on for Frei, who sent a three-run shot over the center field fence to cut the deficit to 8-4. 
 
Howard pitched three more innings in the game, exiting the game after the seventh with a final line of 4.0 innings, one earned run and three strikeouts. Howard allowed just three base runners out of his15 batters faced. 
 
Justus Agosto entered in relief for Howard in the eighth inning and strung together a perfect frame to send UNA to the ninth inning. 
 
Ole Miss struck out two UNA batters to open up the ninth before Loving reached base on a walk. The Rebels pitched a third strikeout to end the frame and take the midweek victory. 
 
Frei now has 11 home runs on the season, the most of any individual in UNA's Division I era and the most by any UNA player since Kyle Hubbuch hit 12 in 2018.
 
North Alabama has already set the Division I program record for most home runs in a season with 43. The Lions have hit multiple home runs in six of the last eight games.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Grayson Saunier (4-3)
L – John Allen Stogner (2-4)
S – None
 
COMING UP NEXT
  
UNA welcomes Central Arkansas to Mike D. Lane Field in Florence, Ala. for a weekend series on April 26-28.
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.