Ole Miss won their third straight SEC series after taking the first two games against Tennessee on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. The Volunteers used the long ball to avoid the sweep on Sunday, April 19 in a 13-5 Rebel loss.
Outfielder Hayden Federico and ace Hunter Elliott paved the way to a 7-4 win in game one, while Cade Townsend and a strong offensive ninth inning secured the series in game two, 8-1.
Game one
Ole Miss extended their winning streak to seven games with a 7-4 victory over Tennessee. Three Rebel homers and three hits with runners in scoring position led to the road victory.
Elliott got into trouble in the first inning. He gave up a homer, a single and hit a batter, but escaped the jam with just one run allowed.
Federico went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs. Federico tied it in the second with a home run to right field.
Right fielder Tristan Bissetta and third baseman Judd Utermark hit back-to-back homers in the top of the third to make it 3-1. In the fourth, designated hitter Owen Paino singled and reached third after a walk and a fielder’s choice. Second baseman Dom Decker beat the shift with a single to left to score Paino.
Utermark started the fifth with a hit by pitch and first baseman Will Furniss doubled to put runners on second and third. Federico singled to score Utermark. Paino grounded into a double play, but scored Furniss to make it 6-1.
Federico tacked on another Rebel run in the seventh with a single to score Utermark.
Elliott gave up a single to start the seventh, then Hudson Calhoun came in for relief. Elliott tossed six innings, earned the win, allowed three runs on six hits, struck out five and hit three batters.
Calhoun gave up a homer to the first batter he faced to make it 7-4, but settled in after that. He pitched two innings and struck out four of the eight batters he faced.
Walker Hooks closed things out for the Rebels with three ground outs to get the Friday night victory.
Game two
Townsend earned the win in game two after going six innings, allowing one hit, striking out seven and walking two. He did not allow a baserunner until the fifth and took a no-hitter into the sixth.
The Rebels strung together baserunners in the first few innings, but had nothing to show for it.
Shortstop Brayden Randle and catcher Austin Fawley drew back-to-back walks in the seventh. Both runners advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch and Decker drove in Randle with a sacrifice fly to take the lead, 1-0.
Reliever Landon Waters came in for the seventh and had no problem handling the Volunteers.
In the eighth inning, Federico doubled to score Utermark to make it 2-0.
The Rebels extended their lead with a big ninth inning. Fawley, center fielder Brett Moseley and Decker all singled to load the bases. Bissetta hit a moon shot grand slam to right field to put the Rebels up 6-0.
Utermark followed the hit with a solo shot to go back-to-back. Federico reached on a hit by pitch and designated hitter Collin Reuter doubled to bring in Federico for Ole Miss’ eighth run.
Hooks pitched in the eighth and ninth to close out the game. He allowed a solo homer in the final frame, but that was all Tennessee could muster on the afternoon. The Rebels had 13 hits and only allowed two.
Game three
Ole Miss hoped to sweep Tennessee on Sunday afternoon with Taylor Rabe on the mound, but they lost 13-5. All of the Volunteers’ runs were off homers.
The Rebels struck first with a Bissetta RBI single. They had the opportunity to add on with the bases loaded, but Furniss flew out to end the inning.
Tennessee took the lead in the third inning off Levi Clark’s 2-run homer to left. Later in the inning, Rabe gave up a 3-homer to make it 5-1.
Rabe finished the inning and did not return. He allowed six hits, gave up five earned runs and struck out four. JP Robertson relieved Rabe in the fourth. Clark struck again and hit his second 2-run homer of the afternoon, 7-1 Tennessee.
In the fifth, Utermark singled and Bissetta doubled to put runners on second and third. Furniss singled to score both runners and get the Rebels within four, 7-3.
Paino walked to lead off the seventh and Bissetta launched his 19th homer of the season to get within two.
In the bottom half, Volunteer Blake Grimmer hit his second homer of the day to extend Tennessee’s lead to three. In the eighth inning, the Volunteers put up five runs with two more homers, including Grimmer’s third on the afternoon.
Ole Miss had 10 hits and went 2-for-4 with runners in scoring position, but Tennessee’s six homers were too much to overcome.
What’s next?
The Rebels will take on Murray State at home on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 before welcoming the Georgia Bulldogs to town this weekend. SEC Network+ will broadcast the games.
