Moerman’s Big Day Guides No. 17 Baseball to Series Sweep Over Jacksonville State

OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) A walkoff grand slam for Ryan Moerman in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday lifted Ole Miss to a 13-2 victory and completed a weekend sweep of Jacksonville State at Swayze Field.

The Rebels were leading 8-2 heading into the home half of the eighth, then proceeded to add five runs to end the game by run rule. Campbell Smithwick was hit by a pitch to lead things off, and after one out, Owen Paino singled through the right side. After two outs and with Paino and Smithwick at second and third respectively, Luke Hill was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Mitchell Sanford walked to score a run for a 9-2 UM lead, then Moerman finished the game with his four-run blast into the home bullpen.

Moerman’s grand slam was the first for a Rebel hitter since Calvin Harris launched one at Missouri on May 6, 2023. Moerman’s seven RBI on Sunday were also the most for a Rebel since Harris had 10 RBI and was 4-for-6 in that same game at Missouri. Harris had four home runs in the game.

Moerman was 3-for-4 in this weekend’s finale against Jacksonville State.

Rebel starting pitcher Mason Nichols went four innings. When he left the game, Ole Miss led 1-0. The senior right-hander allowed no runs on one hit with five strikeouts and two walks.

The Rebels, now 14-1 on the season, had gotten their first run of the game on a leadoff homer down the left field line by Isaac Humphrey in the second inning.

In a productive fourth, Sanford and Moerman both singled, followed by a walk for Humphrey. With the bases loaded, Judd Utermark doubled to score Sanford and Moerman. Then Utermark advanced to third on a wild pitch and Humphrey scored. Utermark scored from third on a bunt by Brayden Randle, and the Rebels led 5-0 through four.

After Will McCausland took over for Nichols to start the fifth, the junior right-hander made quick work of the Gamecocks, three up, three down.

In the bottom of the fifth, Hayden Federico walked and Sanford singled. A Moerman homer to left made it 8-0 Ole Miss.

Through 15 games, Utermark leads the team in home runs with seven, followed by Moerman with six.

JSU, now 10-6 on the season, scored two runs in the top of the sixth to close the gap to six runs. To start the seventh, Landon Waters came in to pitch for McCausland. Neither team scored until the bottom of the eighth when the Rebels ended it by scoring five.

Sanford, Utermark, and Paino had two hits each for the Rebels in Sunday’s game. As a team Ole Miss had 11 hits. The Gamecocks were limited to two hits by the three Rebel pitchers.

Waters (1-0) was credited with the win for the Rebels, while starter Karson Bonaparte (1-2) got the loss for JSU.

Ole Miss plays at South Alabama on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Rebels begin Southeastern Conference play against No. 3 Arkansas in Oxford on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

-Courtesy of Jeff Roberson, Ole Miss Athletics