No. 24 Ole Miss Baseball tops Wright State Friday night at Swayze
OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliott had seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit during five innings Friday, guiding the Rebels to a 9-1 victory over visiting Wright State, the first of three games this weekend in Oxford.
BOX SCORE (PDF) | MIKE BIANCO POSTGAME PRESSER | HUNTER ELLIOTT POSTGAME PRESSER | JUDD UTERMARK POSTGAME PRESSER
In the third inning, Elliott worked out of a bit of a jam. The Raiders got a one-out double followed by two straight walks to load the bases. But a 6-4-3 double play (Luke Cheng to Owen Paino to Judd Utermark) on a ground ball by WSU’s Patrick Fultz ended the threat.
Having scored one run in the bottom of the first inning on a Mitchell Sanford double that scored Luke Hill, the Rebels struck for more runs in the bottom of the third.
Hayden Federico singled to get things started, followed by a walk from Hill. Ryan Moerman doubled to left to score Federico. After an out, Utermark homered to left to score Moerman and Hill. After two strikeouts to end the inning, the Rebels led 5-0.
After Elliott worked through the top of the fourth, Ole Miss picked up another run in the bottom of the inning. After Paino singled, followed by walks from Cheng and Federico, a fly out to left scored Paino. But that’s all the Rebs could get and led 6-0 through four complete.
Alex Canney replaced Elliott to begin the sixth and gave up no runs. The Rebels got three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. After Cheng was hit by a pitch and Federico walked, back to back doubles by Moerman and Sanford put Ole Miss up 9-0.
Moerman’s 3-for-5 day with three RBI and two runs scored paced the Rebel offense. Sanford, Utermark, and Federico each had two hits. Ole Miss had 12 hits to six for Wright State.
After two were aboard for the Raiders in the top of the seventh, Dane Thomas reached on a Rebel error which allowed a run to score. Cade Townsend came in for Canney, and allowed no more runs. It was 9-1 Rebels at stretch time.
Patrick Galle pitched the ninth for the Rebels and closed things out on the eight-run Ole Miss win.
Elliott (3-0) got the win. WSU starter Griffen Paige (0-2) got the loss.
The Rebels (8-1) and the Raiders (3-4) continue the series at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
