Late Offensive Surge Gives Ole Miss Run-Rule Win, Sweep Over Charleston Southern

OXFORD, Miss. -- No. 5 Ole Miss picked up its second run-rule victory in as many days on Sunday, topping Charleston Southern 12-2 in eight innings.

The Rebels led Charleston Southern 3-1 entering the fifth inning before an offensive explosion gave it an 11-1 lead after the frame. Ole Miss scored eight runs in the inning, highlighted by a Kemp Alderman three-run home run to straightaway center that hit the batter's eye. In all, nine Rebels had hits on the day, and six drove in runs.

"That's probably the best inning of baseball I've ever had," Alderman said. "Good contact, and as soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone."

Kevin Graham and Alderman had the best day hitting-wise for the Rebels, combining for four hits and seven RBIs. In the sixth inning, Mike Bianco removed most of his starters from the action, and reserves closed things out, including Knox Loposer who dropped in a single in the eighth to bring the run rule into effect.

Kevin Graham's big Sunday was also the first time this weekend he garnered a hit, but he managed to break through in a big way with his first knock being a home run.

"That's baseball," Graham said. "I've talked a lot with younger guys too, and the most important thing in being a good college baseball hitter is that you have to wear 0-for-9s. I wasn't proud of how I handled the first two games, but it felt good to get back out there."

Drew McDaniel got the start on the mound for the Rebels and was the pitcher of record, throwing 3.2 innings and striking out four. He also walked two batters and allowed a solo home run in the first inning.

Hunter Elliott, a freshman out of Tupelo High School (Miss.) saw his first action as a Rebel in relief of McDaniel, pitching 1.1 innings and walking one batter.

Mike Bianco discussed his team's pitching performance for the weekend after the game on Sunday. Dylan DeLucia and Jack Dougherty also saw action in relief.

"I thought, overall, we pitched it well," Bianco said. "Today, I don't think we were lights-out by any means, but I'm proud of Drew. In the innings where they had some traffic on the bases, he competed and got off the field.

"Once we got to the third or fourth inning, we knew we had to go to the bullpen to get them some innings," Bianco continued. "It was good for them to get their feet wet a little bit."

Ole Miss put up 31 runs in the weekend sweep over Charleston Southern, and Sunday's fifth inning was a hallmark of what this offense hopes to accomplish as the season gets going.

"That's one of the messages the offense talks about," Bianco said. "Can you bunch it together? We've done that through the weekend."

Weather permitting, the Rebels are scheduled to face Arkansas State at home on Tuesday in midweek action. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

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