Ole Miss Baseball Pulls Off Historic SEC Series Sweep of LSU in Dominating Fashion

OXFORD, Miss. – A Brayden Randle RBI single in the seventh that scored Hayden Federico from third proved to be the winning run as Ole Miss defeated LSU, 8-7, to complete a weekend sweep of the Tigers.

With the win, the Rebels (26-11, 8-7 SEC) earned its first sweep of the Tigers (22-15, 6-9 SEC) since 2022. The Rebels knocked 32 hits on the weekend, its most against an SEC foe this season.

Ole Miss had moved out to a 7-0 lead through six innings behind a solid offensive showing and a sensational outing from starting pitcher Taylor Rabe. But back-to-back home runs from the Tigers in the top of the seventh tightened things up a bit at 7-2, and more was coming from LSU.

When Wil Libbert replaced Rabe with no outs, the Tigers sent another homer out of the park to cut the Rebel lead to four runs. Libbert got two outs and was one out away from keeping things as they were at 7-3.

But LSU scored two more runs to cut the lead to 7-5, and Libbert gave way to Hudson Calhoun. Two runs scored with Calhoun on the mound, but a fly out to center field moved the game on to the bottom of the seventh at 7-7.

That’s when Ole Miss retook the lead at 8-7 on Randle’s RBI single.

In the first inning, Ole Miss went up 2-0 on back-to-back RBI singles by Will Furniss and Federico. In the second inning, the Rebels added a run on a Dom Decker solo homer to left, his sixth of the season.

As Rabe continued to dominate the Tiger hitters, not allowing a hit until the seventh, Ole Miss had a four-run fourth inning to increase its lead to 7-0.

A solo home run by Owen Paino to left, his second of the weekend, was followed by a single from Decker and a home run for Tristan Bissetta, his 15th of the year, to left center. That made it 6-0. After Judd Utermark reached on a single, Furniss singled through the right side for the seven-run lead.

That’s the way things stood until the fireworks of the seventh inning.

Walker Hooks replaced Calhoun, who pitched the three final innings in the Rebels’ 6-3 series-opening win Friday night to get his third win against no losses this season.

This time Hooks came in to begin the LSU ninth, pitched sensationally again with a groundout and two strikeouts, and the sweep of the Tigers was complete. It was Hooks’ second save of the season. Calhoun (3-2) got the win. The loss went to LSU’s Marcos Paz (0-2), the fourth of five Tigers to throw in this one.

Rabe allowed just two runs on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk in his six innings.

Ole Miss had 14 hits to LSU’s 8, and the Rebels were led by Decker and Furniss knocking three hits apiece.

Ole Miss plays in Pearl, Mississippi, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT vs. Southern Miss.

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