How It Happened: Ole Miss Baseball Captures Major Doubleheader Sweep Over Evansville

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss put together two solid baseball performances in a Friday doubleheader at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field, defeating Evansville 7-2 in the opener and 14-2 in the finale.

The Rebels (14-2) and the Aces (3-10) meet in game three of the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Hunter Elliott and Hudson Calhoun combined for the win and the save in game one as the Rebels scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to basically seal the victory. A five-run lead at that point proved to be enough.

Elliott allowed two solo home runs in the top of the second - one each from Reid Haire, who led off the inning, and Ximi Baftiri. Other than that, the Rebel ace was superb, pitching five innings and to one more batter in the top of the sixth - Haire, again, this time with a leadoff single. Elliott walked four but struck out seven, allowing four hits. With the win, he is 2-0 this season.

Calhoun came in after Haire's base hit and went the rest of the way, striking out nine Aces with one hit and no free passes. It was Calhoun's second save of the season.

Ole Miss answered Evansville's two runs in the top of the second with two runs in the bottom of the third. Judd Utermark flew out to center field which scored Hayden Federico after he had reached on a double and moved to third on a Dom Decker single. After Decker stole second, a Will Furniss base hit got him home to tie the game.

The Rebels added a run in the fourth and another in the fifth. Tate Sirmans led off the fourth with a solo homer to left center, his second round-tripper of the year. Utermark did the same with a leadoff homer in the fifth to left center. Ole Miss led 4-2.

Then came the big eighth inning. Brayden Randle led off with a single to center field. After he advanced on a wild pitch, Austin Fawley walked. Federico sacrifice bunted them to second and third, then Decker flew out to center to score Randle as Fawley moved to third.

After Utermark walked, Furniss singled to score Fawley. Collin Reuter walked to load the bases, and Tristan Bissetta walked to score Utermark. That made it 7-2.

Calhoun went back out to the mound in the ninth to finish things up with three strikeouts.

Kenton Deverman, the starter and first of two pitchers for the Aces, got the loss and is 0-3.

Furniss, with three hits, led a 15-hit Rebel attack as every starter for Ole Miss got at least one hit in game one.

In the nightcap, Ole Miss was in control throughout behind the pitching of starter Cade Townsend, who got the win and is 2-0 this season.

Ole Miss Rebels Baseball: Decker. — Courtesy of Dom Decker's Instagram.

Leading 2-0 after a Reuter RBI single in the first and a Decker leadoff homer, his fifth this season, in the third inning, it was in the fourth and fifth innings when the Rebels got most of their offensive production. With six runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth, Ole Miss led 13-1 and increased it to 14-1 in the sixth.

In the fourth, after Randle and Owen Paino were aboard with singles, Daniel Pacella homered to left center. After a Federico double and a walk by Decker, Utermark sent one out of Swayze Field in center field. It was the Rebel third baseman's 10th homer of the season.

In the sixth, Paino singled to score Bissetta who had reached on a base hit. Pacella then homered again, his third of the season, scoring Paino and Randle, who had also reached on a single. Furniss followed with an RBI single to score Decker who had reached on a walk.

Cannon Goldin flew out to center to score Randle who was aboard on a hit by pitch. Evansville got two runs in the top of the seventh for the final margin.

Townsend went five innings allowing one hit and a couple of walks. In relief, Landon Waters got the Aces three up, three down. Noah Allen pitched the seventh, allowing the two runs on two hits and a walk.

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