Ole Miss Rebels Swept at Home Following Easter Sunday Loss to Kentucky Wildcats

It was not a good weekend for the Ole Miss Rebels baseball team, as they were swept by the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.

Jun 8, 2019; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Mike Bianco watches from the / Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 22 Ole Miss Rebels finished its weekend series versus the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats with a deflating 15-1 loss and were thus swept after dropping the last two games to the Cats. The Rebels lost the series on Saturday, which turned their game on Easter Sunday into a must-win contest, but Kentucky came out of the gate swinging with its eyes on a road sweep.

The Wildcats struck first thanks to a sac fly and RBI single in the top of the first inning to give the Cats an early 2-0 lead over Ole Miss. Junior LHP Gunnar Dennis started on the mound for the Rebels, but his day ended before he could even close out the first inning. After giving up three runs on three hits, Dennis was replaced by junior RHP Josh Mallitz with two outs on the board. Mallitz’s arrival did not stop the bleeding, however, as an RBI double gave Kentucky a 5-0 lead before the top of the inning finally came to a close thanks to a ground out.

Another five-run frame from the Cats in the top of the fourth inning extended their lead to 10-0 over Ole Miss, putting the game in run-rule territory. It only got uglier, and the Rebels were eventually run-ruled after seven innings.

Dennis was relieved by a combination of four Ole Miss relievers: Mallitz (2.2 IP), Mason Nichols (0.1 IP), Grayson Saunier (3.0 IP), and Ryne Rodriguez (0.1 IP). Combined, the Rebels’ bullpen allowed 10 runs and six walks.

The Rebels will now hit the road to take on the Memphis Tigers on Tuesday night. In their last matchup, the Rebels hosted the Tigers at Swayze Field in March and won 5-3. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN+.