Ole Miss Baseball Claims Series-Clinching Win Over Eastern Kentucky

The Ole Miss Rebels won Game 2 and the series over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.

Ole Miss INF Luke Hill trots around the bases after hitting a home run in the fourth inning of the Rebels' game against Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 22, 2025. | Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD -- The Ole Miss Rebels claimed a series-clinching win over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on Saturday by a final score of 9-4 at Swayze Field.

The Rebels (5-1) scored in each of the game's first four innings, and outside of a three-run top of the sixth from EKU (0-6) and one solo home run, the Colonel bats were largely kept silent on the day.

Ole Miss got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning on a Ryan Moerman single to right field that scored freshman Hayden Federico. The Rebels added two more runs in the second on a double from Federico, and they notched one run apiece in the third and fourth innings off of solo home runs from Moerman and Luke Hill.

Eastern Kentucky was able to get onto the board against freshman relief pitcher Cade Townsend when designated hitter Kam Taylor hit a bases-clearing triple that scored three runs with two down in the sixth inning. Ole Miss, however, was able to respond in the bottom half with a solo home run from Collin Reuter and an RBI hit-by-pitch from Isaac Humphrey and an RBI walk from Austin Fawley that made the score 8-3 in the Rebels' favor.

The Colonels were able to get on the board in the eighth inning off of a solo home run, and Ole Miss countered with one of its own in the bottom half on an RBI single from Mitchell Sanford to give the game its eventual 9-4 final score.

Right-handed pitcher Riley Maddox drew the start on the hill for Ole Miss on Saturday, throwing five innings of scoreless, three-hit ball while issuing two walks and striking out five. He was relieved by the aforementioned Townsend who allowed three earned runs in his inning of work, and Brayden Jones entered in the seventh inning and threw one inning while not allowing a baserunner.

Patrick Galle threw the eighth inning for the Rebels and allowed one run on a solo shot to right field, and Walker Hooks closed things out in the ninth with a scoreless frame.

The Rebels will go for the sweep of Eastern Kentucky on Sunday at Swayze Field in a noon CT first pitch. The game will be aired on SEC Network+.