Ole Miss Baseball Run-Rules Jackson State, 18-3, to Move to 5-0

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss baseball took the field for the back half of a back-to-back during midweek action as they defeated the Jackson State Tigers 18-3 in seven innings, notching their second run-rule win in three games.

The Recap

The Tigers came out swinging in the first, notching two runs across the board.

Terry Hayes Jr. took the mound for the Rebels and opened the game with a strikeout, but a 2-2 double from Leddy Alvarez was just the start for the Tigers. Just a batter later, an easy ground ball was hit to second base, and a good throw was delivered, but Will Furniss couldn’t handle it, allowing the runner to be safe, and the other to advance to third. That all occurred before a passed ball allowed the first run of the game to score.

Quickly after, Pierre Cabral sent a 2-1 pitch into the outfield, giving Jackson State an early 2-0 lead before Hayes got out of the first.

Ole Miss did not take long to respond as Dom Decker drew a lead-off walk, setting up Judd Utermark, who sent out his second home run of the season to knot the game even without recording an out.

Ole Miss went on to draw three straight one-out walks before a strikeout led to a two-out bases-loaded walk for Hayden Federico, giving Ole Miss a 3-2 lead as they concluded the first.

Both pitchers bounced back in the second, each recording all three outs themselves with one groundout and two strikeouts for a scoreless second inning.

Hayes had more of the same in the third, sitting the Tigers down 1-2-3 again, and then getting some serious help from the offense in the bottom of the inning, as Ole Miss accumulated nine runs.

The Rebels’ rally was started with a one-out opposite-field solo home run from Tristan Bisetta for his second home run of the season.

Following Bissetta, Ole Miss collected a single and drew two walks before a wild pitch allowed Tate Sirmins to slide into home, and Brayden Randle then sent a two-RBI single into the outfield.

Ole Miss then put on two base-runners on two walks and a wild pitch put both in scoring position for Reuter, who smacked a two-out, two-RBI single.

In stepped Bissetta again, who capped off the nine-run inning the same way he started it as he smacked out his second home run of the inning, his third of the year, as a low line drive skimmed the top of the wall and went over to give Ole Miss a 13-2 lead after three innings of play.

In the fourth, each side went down 1-2-3, before Jackson State struck again in the fifth compiling a few base runners and getting an RBI single from Robert Tate Jr., but the Tigers stranded two runners to end the inning, still down nine.

Ole Miss went to the bench in the sixth inning as Cannon Goldin entered the game and led-off, getting his first collegiate hit as he hustled into second for a double. Just one batter later Luke Romine entered as a pinch-hitter getting his first hit as well, scoring Cannon and reinstating a double-digit lead for the Rebels.

However, that was just the begining for Ole Miss as they drew two walks leaving the bases loaded for Utermark, who as well as Bissetta, jacked his second home run of the day, deep into left field for a grand slam that gave Ole Miss a 17-3 lead.

Ole Miss tacked on one more as they batted around the lineup, as Goldin capped off the inning with his first RBI, smacking a single through the right side and scoring fellow freshman Kelvin Perera, to give Ole Miss an 18-3 lead.

Grayson Gibson entered the game for Ole Miss in the ninth to close out the run-rule victory, doing so in perfect fashion, three up, three down to clinch Ole Miss’ fifth straight win to open the season.

A Look Ahead

Ole Miss will return to the diamond on Saturday as the Rebels host the Missouri State Bears for a three-game weekend set.