Ole Miss Baseball Loses Series to Tennessee Following Sunday Blowout

The Ole Miss Rebels were run-ruled once again by the Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday afternoon.

Despite putting forth a valiant effort on Saturday to tie their weekend series, the No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels were beaten 15-4 by the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday afternoon, thus losing their three-game series.

The Rebels came back to win 8-5 in game two, but they did not have that same fire on Sunday with the series on the line. The Rebels got run-ruled for the second time this series on Sunday, and the Volunteers needed less than seven innings to end this game.

Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco rolled with RHP Grayson Saunier in game three, and the Volunteers attacked the sophomore early into his sixth start of 2024. Tennessee got on the board in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-run homer, and another two-run bomb in the third frame put Ole Miss in a 4-1 hole. The Volunteers continued to open things up in the third, as another big fly scored three more runs to extend their lead to 7-1.

With three homers allowed, Bianco ended Saunier’s day after 2.2 innings of work and turned things over to freshman LHP Wes Mendes. Saunier allowed six hits, seven earned runs, and one walk, while striking out three batters in his shortest appearance of the season so far. Saunier was relieved by a combination of four Ole Miss relievers: Mendes (1.2 IP), Mason Morris (0.0 IP), Mason Nichols (0.1 IP), and Brayden Jones (1.1). Combined, the Rebels’ bullpen gave up four seven and three walks.

The Rebels attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the fourth thanks to the sixth home run of the season from first baseman Jackson Ross, but the Volunteers responded half an inning later with a solo shot of their own to make the score 8-3. It only got worse from there, as Tennessee scored seven more runs heading into the sixth inning.

The only offense the Rebels were able to muster was an RBI single from Campbell Smithwick, a solo home run from Judd Utermark, and Ross’ aforementioned two-run bomb.

Ole Miss will now head back to Oxford to host the Austin Peay Governors on Tuesday for some midweek action on the diamond. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.