After weather shifted the schedule to a Friday doubleheader, Ole Miss Baseball battled through three games in two days, taking two of three to secure a hard-fought series win over Florida at Swayze Field on March 28-29.
After the series win, The Rebels jumped six places in the D1 Top 25 rankings and came in at No. 9. Along with Ole Miss, seven other SEC teams fill the Top 10 rankings.
Game one (won 7-5)
The Rebels jumped ahead quickly, plating two runs in the opening frame. Luke Hill led off with a walk and later scored on an Isaac Humphrey single to right. A bases-loaded walk to Hayden Federico extended the lead to 2-0.
Florida answered back in the third with Brody Donay’s three-run blast to left field, putting the Gators on top 3-2. Ole Miss responded swiftly, as Ryan Moerman worked a walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Will Furniss, tying the game at 3-3.
The Rebels regained control in the fifth, capitalizing on another scoring opportunity. With two runners on, Furniss roped a two-run double down the right-field line to make it 5-3. Moments later, Brayden Randle lifted a sacrifice fly that brought home another run to stretch the lead to 6-3.
On the mound, Hunter Elliott delivered a strong outing, striking out seven without allowing a walk in over five innings of work. Mason Morris took over in the sixth and managed a Florida rally until the Gators cut the deficit to 7-5 on a Bobby Boser single in the seventh.
Brayden Jones took the mound in the ninth and recorded two strikeouts to lock down the win.
Game two (won 10-9)
After Riley Maddox held the Gators in the top of the first, Mitchell Sanford set the tone for the Rebels with a home run to right center on the first pitch.
Florida responded in the second inning with a Luke Heyman solo homer to tie it, followed by a Tyler Boser single that scored Ashton Wilson and Hayden Yost. A sacrifice fly from Brendan Lawson brought home Justin Nadeau, giving the Gators a 4-1 lead.
The Rebels chipped away in the third when Hill singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw, allowing Sanford to score. They pulled even in the fourth as Judd Utermark doubled down the left-field line, followed by an Austin Fawley double to left that plated Utermark and Furniss, tying the game at 4-4.
Sanford struck again in the fifth, blasting his second home run of the game to put Ole Miss ahead 5-4. Florida, however, responded in the seventh, tying the game after Landon Stripling was hit by a pitch and Heyman doubled to center.
The Gators seized momentum in the eighth when Lawson delivered a grand slam, pushing Florida ahead 9-5.
Facing a four-run deficit, the Rebels mounted a late comeback. Fawley sparked the rally in the bottom of the eighth with a single through the left side, scoring Campbell Smithwick and Furniss to cut the gap to 9-7.
The Rebels came alive in the ninth. Furniss doubled down the right-field line, bringing home Humphrey and Hill to make it a one-run game. Moments later, Federico reached on a fielder’s choice, setting the stage for Fawley, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Furniss and sealing a dramatic 10-9 victory to clinch the series.
Game three (lost 11-8)
Florida struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run homer by Heyman. Ole Miss responded quickly, with Utermark singling up the middle to bring home Furniss and cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Rebels kept the pressure on in the third. Fawley tied the game with a solo shot to left, and Moerman followed with a single to score Hill, giving Ole Miss a 3-2 lead.
In the fourth, Utermark scored on a sacrifice fly from Sanford to extend the Rebels’ advantage to 4-2.
Florida cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth on a solo homer by Colby Shelton. In the sixth, Ty Evans’ double set up a fielding error and a Tyler Yost single, putting the Gators ahead 5-4.
In the seventh, Hill scored on a Moerman sacrifice fly to center. Furniss then followed up with a two-run homer to right field, scoring Humphrey and putting Ole Miss ahead 7-5. Florida answered in the top of the eighth with a home run from Heyman, cutting the lead to 7-6.
Hill extended the Rebels’ lead in the eighth with a single to right field, bringing Randle home to make it 8-6.
In the top of the ninth, Shelton’s single pulled Florida within one, and Heyman walked with the bases loaded to tie the game. Stripling then singled to right, putting the Gators ahead 9-8, before Evans’ groundout scored Heyman to close out the 11-8 loss.
Who’s next?
Ole Miss will host Jackson State on Tuesday, April 1. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Editor’s Note: The article originally misidentified the starting pitcher for Game Two. Mason Nichols was incorrectly listed, but the correct starting pitcher was Riley Maddox.
