The University of Florida baseball team (37-15, 16-10 SEC) struggled to score runs against visiting Mississippi for the second straight day and fell short 3-1 in the second game of the three-game series Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium. The loss snapped a four series win streak for the Gators who fell on Saturday for just the third time in a SEC series. The third game of the series will take place Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

The Gators wasted a strong pitching performance from Justin Hoyman who allowed only two earned runs in the complete game loss. It was Hoyman’s first defeat of the season as his record fell to 10-1. The junior gave up just six hits and walked three with five strikeouts.

Rebels starter Anthony Cupps earned his third win after an impressive performance in only his third start of the season. Cupps allowed only one run on five Gator hits through his eight innings of work. Chris Thompson pitched a scoreless ninth for the Rebels and earned his second save of the season.

The game was tied at 1-1 after six innings, but the Rebels scored runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to take the 3-1 advantage before holding on.

In the seventh, Brian Pettway led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. He moved to third on a ground ball to first and scored the go-ahead run on a RBI single off the bat of Matt Tolbert. Hoyman had struck out Charlie Babineaux prior to Tolbert’s two-out single, but couldn’t get Tolbert after taking the count to 2-2.

The Rebels added an insurance run in the eighth after the Ole Miss lead off hitter reached base and came around to score for the second inning in a row. Barry Gunther led off the frame and was hit by a pitch before Cooper Osteen hit into a fielder’s choice. Osteen advanced to third after Chris Coghlan singled to center. A sharp grounder off the bat of Seth Smith was fielded by C.J. Smith, but the Gators were unable to turn the double play as Osteen crossed the plate.

In attempting to mount a comeback after the sixth inning, the Gators had only two base runners with both runners reaching on two-out singles.

In the bottom of the second inning the Gators used productive outs to plate the first run of the game and take their first lead of the series. Ben Harrison led off the inning with a walk and Jeff Corsaletti followed with a single to center. Adam Davis sacrificed the runners into scoring position with a bunt back to the pitcher. Justin Tordi then earned his 34^th RBI of the season with ground out to the shortstop that scored Harrison.

The Rebels would match the Gators run in the top of the fifth after Pettway led off the inning with a solo home run to right field. It was his second home run of the series and fifth of the season. Prior to giving up Pettway’s home run, Hoyman had retired eight straight Rebel hitters and five straight on groundouts.

After the second inning the closest the Gators came to scoring was in the sixth inning. UF threatened after singles by Harrison and Corsaletti with one out, both Davis and Tordi grounded into fielder’s choices to end the rally and leave runners on first and third.

Harrison and Corsaletti had a pair of hits for the Gators while Coghlan had a pair of hits for Ole Miss.

• The loss for Hoyman was his first in the regular season since losing to Ole Miss last season May 10, 2003 … Hoyman’s complete game effort was his fifth of the season and 11^th of his career … Hoyman has given up two or less earned runs in nine of 15 starts this season … The junior last loss May 30, 2003 against Florida Atlantic in the NCAA Regional.
• Florida has had only one extra base hits in the first two games of the series.
• After both teams had 10 hits each in game one the two teams matched each other in game two with six hits apiece.
• Ole Miss has plated all seven of its runs in the series in seven different innings.
• For the first time in 2004 Florida did not commit an error in back-to-back games … The Gators have not had an error in 10 games this season and is now fielding .965 in league games.