Facing elimination for the first time in 2025, Ole Miss (41-20) managed to secure an 8-6 victory over Western Kentucky (46-14), earning them a chance to play on Sunday.
The Rebels concluded what has been a remarkable season for the Hilltoppers with a powerful offensive performance.
Ole Miss racked up 15 hits, one walk, and hit six home runs, while striking out 11 times at the plate during their Saturday win. Mitchell Sanford, Judd Utermark, and Austin Fawley each contributed to the home run total.
Ole Miss
“Mitch and the rest of the hitters really performed well. I noticed the ball was really carrying, especially to the right side of the field. Our hitters had a strong strategy against (Jack) Bennett, who mixes his pitches effectively with changeups and two types of breaking balls. I thought our guys executed their approach exceptionally well,” head coach Mike Bianco commented on the Rebels’ offensive efforts.
Ole Miss’ six home runs tied their season high for a single game, a feat they last accomplished in late March against Missouri. This game also marked the 10th time this season that the Rebels hit four or more home runs in a single game
“We’ve scored in various ways this year. While much has come from home runs, that’s just how our offense operates,” Sanford remarked. “I believe we did an excellent job today, not just with our strategy, but also in how we approached the pitchers. If that includes hitting a few home runs, so be it. Overall, I think we executed our offense really well.”
Hunter Elliott also played a crucial role in the Rebels’ season-saving victory. Although he gave up a season-high eight hits, he managed to pitch through six important innings, including four scoreless frames in his Oxford Regional debut.
The game was tied at three after the first three innings, but Ole Miss went on to score in each of the next four innings, taking an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Western Kentucky made it competitive by scoring the final three runs of the game and bringing the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth.
Next, Ole Miss will face the loser of Saturday’s second game between Georgia Tech (41-17) and Murray State (40-13). The first pitch for Sunday’s opener at Swayze Field is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+ and will be broadcast on the SEC Network
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