Ole Miss shortstop Brayden Randle waits for a pitch in a SEC game against No. 15 Kentucky at Swayze Field. | Dylan Cohron-HottyToddy.com Images
Ole Miss shortstop Brayden Randle waits for a pitch in a SEC game against No. 15 Kentucky at Swayze Field. | Dylan Cohron-HottyToddy.com Images

Rebels Deliver Final Blow in Offensive Shootout Against Kentucky

BY Taylor Hodges

Game one of Ole Miss and No. 15 Kentucky’s weekend series gave the Rebels’ pitching staff a time to shine. Game two flipped the script and showcased the Wildcats’ excellent pitching.

In the series-deciding finale on Saturday, it was the offenses’ turn to shine and they delivered. Both Kentucky and Ole Miss had multiple, game-changing, momentum-stealing swings. In the end, the Rebels had one more than Kentucky, giving them a 12-9 and an important conference series win.

On the Mound

Leadoff walks rarely lead anywhere good, and Saturday was a reminder of that. Every major scoring inning for both Ole Miss and Kentucky started with someone reaching for free.

Wil Libbert opened the game with two walks, and Kentucky immediately turned them into a two‑run double. In the fourth, Kentucky starter Nate Harris gave up a leadoff double and then two walks, and Daniel Pacella made him pay with a grand slam.

The fifth inning followed the same script. Libbert hit the leadoff man, gave up a single, and was done for the day. Landon Koenig walked the first batter he faced, loaded the bases, and watched Carson Hansen hit Kentucky’s grand slam.

The examples don’t start there. Ole Miss tried to answer in the sixth with a hit‑by‑pitch and a walk to start the inning. Hayden Federico’s sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 8-6, but the momentum didn’t last.

Of course, giving up a leadoff home run, followed by a single and another home run is a much worse way to start an inning. That was Connor Mattison’s experience in a brief seven-pitch appearance to start the seventh inning.

Overall, the Rebels’ pitching Saturday was good enough to get the win. Libbert settled in after a shaky start. Koenig’s outing was, hopefully, an outlier and not a trend. And Walker Hooks was excellent, throwing 4.2 innings with just one home run for a hit, one walk and five strikeouts.

But when you keep giving away free baserunners, especially to a lineup like Kentucky’s, the margin for error disappears fast.

At the Plate

The momentum swings in this game were constant, and so were the literal swings from both Ole Miss and Kentucky. Twenty‑one hits, four doubles and five home runs gave fans at Swayze Field plenty to react to.

Once the ball started leaving the yard, it didn’t stop. Daniel Pacella opened things up with a grand slam in the fourth to put Ole Miss ahead 5-2. Kentucky answered immediately with a Carson Hansen grand slam of its own.

The Rebels scratched across a run with small ball in the sixth, then jumped on Connor Mattison for two home runs in a seven‑pitch stretch. And, again, Kentucky answered with a solo shot in the eighth.

The biggest swing of the day didn’t even leave the infield.

After Kentucky intentionally walked Tristan Bissetta, Will Furniss punched an opposite‑field single with the bases loaded to score two. A fielding error moved another runner to third, and Collin Reuter’s sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 12-9.

It was an exciting win, and the late‑inning heroics deserve the attention. But it’s worth noting the game wasn’t trending that way early. Through five innings, Ole Miss was just 2-for-11 with runners on base, one day after going 0-for-9.

Pitching Decisions

  • WP: Walker Hooks (1-0), 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 63 TP, 43 ST
  • LP: Burkley Bounds (2-1), 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 20 TP, 10 ST

Ole Miss Batting Leaders

  • Tristan Bissetta: 1-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 2 BB
  • Will Furniss: 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
  • Collin Reuter: 2-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SF
  • Daniel Pacella: 1-3, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 GS HR, 1 HBP

Next Up

Ole Miss will be on the road for its midweek game. The Rebels will make the quick trek north to Memphis, who began their weekend series against Tulane with a 7-6 win Friday night.

It’ll be the second meeting of the season between the Rebels and Tigers. Ole Miss won the first meeting 7-1 back on March 3.

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