Ole Miss didn’t need a dramatic ninth inning this time, but the script still felt familiar.
A week after scoring five runs in the final frame to take a series from Florida, the Rebels leaned on another late surge Friday night. Three runs in the bottom of the eighth broke a 3-3 tie and pushed Ole Miss to a 6-3 win over LSU at Swayze Field.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the kind of opener you want to start a weekend series.
she's a beaut🥹 pic.twitter.com/i1mVjl51r6
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 11, 2026
The game sat stuck at 3-3 through seven and a half innings, and then the Rebels finally cracked it open.
Tristan Bissetta singled, Judd Utermark reached on a fielder’s choice, and Will Furniss punched a ball into the right corner to load the bases with nobody out.
From there, Ole Miss didn’t waste the moment. Hayden Federico shot a single down the right field line to score Bissetta, Utermark came home on a Brett Moseley bunt, and a fly ball to left brought Furniss in for a 6-3 lead.
Efficient is the right word.
Ole Miss went 6-for-14 with runners on and 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position. LSU, meanwhile, kept letting chances slip away, finishing 4-for-16 with runners on and 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The Rebels didn’t dominate the night, but they won the moments that mattered.
And once the offense finally pushed ahead, Walker Hooks handled the rest.
Hooks took over in the seventh after Landon Waters walked two Tigers to start the inning and quickly get pulled from the game.
LSU barely touched Hooks. One hit, no runs, three strikeouts, and a smooth three up, three down ninth to close it out. It was the kind of steady, no‑nonsense relief outing that lets a late rally actually mean something.
Hunter Elliott gave Ole Miss what it needed on the front end, too. Six innings, eight strikeouts, and only one walk after giving up a two‑run homer in the first.
He kept the game stable long enough for the offense to find its footing again.
Picked off⛏️⛏️⛏️@Walker_Hooks9 got 'em pic.twitter.com/MXkkpH9CUO
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 11, 2026
The Rebels had to grind for it after scoring three runs in the first two innings and then going quiet for a while. Furniss singled home Dom Decker in the first, Bissetta scored on a passed ball, and Owen Paino launched his first home run of the season in the second. LSU tied it in the seventh, but Ole Miss had one more push left.
That’s becoming a trend.
Last week it was five runs in the ninth to beat Florida and take the series. Friday night it was three in the eighth to grab game one from LSU. Different inning, same idea: stay close, stay patient, and eventually break something open.
Ole Miss moves to 24-11 overall and 6-7 in the SEC. LSU falls to 22-13 and also sits at 6-7. Furniss, Federico, and Bissetta all finished with two hits, while Mason Braun had three for the Tigers.
Game two is set for Saturday at 4 p.m., and the Rebels have a chance to turn another Friday win into something bigger. If the late‑inning trend keeps up, they’ll take it.
