By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
No. 25 Ole Miss defeats Murray State 8-2 in the annual Kids Day game on Tuesday at Swayze.
Ole Miss (20-12) broke the game open in the sixth inning as five runs came in to score.
The Rebels starter Drew McDaniel was electric on the mound to open the game as he struck out the side.
Ole Miss got on the scoreboard with three runs in the first. Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez opened the frame with a base knock and Justin Bench followed with an RBI double. Tim Elko delivered a single. Bench scored on a sac fly by Kevin Graham. Elko came across on an RBI base rip by Reagan Burford.
McDaniel didn’t allow a hit through the first five frames. Murray State got a runner aboard in the second on a walk. McDaniel worked 5.0 innings and surrendered a run on two hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.
Murray State got on the board in the sixth as Seth Gardner was driven in on an RBI double by Cade Sammons.
The Rebels responded by sending ten batters to the plate were capped off by three doubles by Gonzalez, Bench and Graham.
Bench finished the game going 2-for-5 with two runs on two doubles and two RBIs.
Coach Mike Bianco brought Mason Nichols and Max Cioffi in for a frame. In the eighth, Mitch Murrell came in for 0.2 of an inning before handing the ball off to Josh Mallitz. Hunter Elliott came in to pitch in the ninth.
Murray State tacked on a run in the eighth, as Sammons gets a double and comes home to score on a walk.
Sammons finished the day 2-for-4 with a run, two doubles and an RBI.
The Rebel pitchers recorded a total of 16 strikeouts against Murray State.
Ole Miss returns to action on Thursday as they travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in a three-game series. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
