1 week Ago
OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 23 Ole Miss baseball team took game one of the series against No.
9 Vanderbilt by a score of 8-3, Friday night at Swayze Field. The Rebels were boosted by the long ball offensively with three home runs from Hayden Federico, Luke Hill, and Judd Utermark. The win marked number 30 on the year for Ole Miss marking the 22nd time under the direction of head coach Mike Bianco that the Rebels have tallied 30 or more wins in a single season.
Federico would lead off the bottom of the first with a solo home run to left center. It was Federico’s fourth homer of the season and the third time he’s led off a game this year with a round-tripper. Vanderbilt would even the score in the second, plating one run off a sacrifice fly.
Luke Hill would lead off the fifth with a solo blast to dead center. Hill’s eighth homer of the year put the Rebels back in front. Mitchell Sanford would beat out an infield single followed by a Ryan Moerman hit by pitch.
Will Furniss laced a single up the middle to score Sanford. Moerman and Furniss would both score off wild pitches. Ole Miss would lead 5-1 after five complete.
Hunter Elliott would go five strong for Ole Miss allowing just one run. The crafty lefty surrendered just two hits, struck out six Vandy hitters and picked off one runner. Mason Morris would relieve Elliott to begin the sixth.
Vanderbilt would make it 5-3 in the eighth after a two-run home run off the bat of Braden Holcomb. With one on and one out, Ole Miss would go to the pen for Will McCausland. With a 2-2 count, Vanderbilt’s David Mendez would attempt to swipe second base.
McCausland would fan the batter at the plate and Austin Fawley would gun down Mendez at second for a strike him out, throw him out to end the Commodore threat in the eighth. Ole Miss would strike for three more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Federico would single and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Connor Chisolm would pinch run for Federico and advanced to third on another errant pitch. Luke Hill would reach on an error as Chisolm crossed the plate. Judd Utermark would then launch his 12th home run of the season into the left field stands to stretch the Rebel lead to 8-3.
McCausland would slam the door in the ninth to give Ole Miss the game one win. Hunter Elliott (6-2) earned the win on the mound for the Rebels. JD Thompson (3-4) would suffer the loss for Vanderbilt.
Sanford led Ole Miss with three hits, marking the fifth time he’s tallied three base knocks in a game this season. Ole Miss (30-12, 11-8 SEC) and Vanderbilt (30-12, 11-8 SEC) will play game two tomorrow afternoon with first pitch is set for 5 p.m.
CT on SEC Network+. Saturday’s game will be the Stand Up To Cancer game sponsored by Baptist Cancer Center. The game will feature a placard moment between the third and fourth innings in which fans at Swayze Field will be invited to stand in recognition for a moment of silence.
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