The Recap: Ole Miss Baseball's Late Surge Lifts Rebels to 6-3 Game 1 Win Over LSU

Mike Bianco and Co. cruise to a win down the stretch, critical eighth inning catapults the Rebels to a victory.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Baseball.

OXFORD, Miss. – A three-run bottom of the eighth inning lifted Ole Miss to a 6-3 victory against LSU Friday night at Swayze Field.

The game was tied 3-3 through the top of the eighth, and that’s when the Rebels made things happen offensively. A Tristan Bissetta single was followed by a fielder’s choice as Judd Utermark reached. Will Furniss singled to the right corner to load the bases with no outs.

A Hayden Federico single down the right field line scored Bissetta to give Ole Miss a 4-3 lead.

Brett Moseley then bunted and Utermark scored from third base for a 5-3 Rebel lead. A fly ball to left scored Furniss for the three-run lead.

It was then up to Walker Hooks to finish. The left-hander had taken over pitching duties from reliever Landon Waters, who entered after starter Hunter Elliott had pitched six solid innings. Waters walked two Tigers to start the seventh, and Hooks came in.

From that point on, LSU got no runs on one hit with three strikeouts from Hooks. In the top of the ninth, Hooks took care of the Tigers three up, three down, and Ole Miss had a victory to start the Southeastern Conference series.

The Rebels are now 24-11 overall and 6-7 in the SEC. The Tigers are 22-13 and also 6-7.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Baseball.

Elliott went six complete, allowing two first-inning runs, with eight hits, eight strikeouts, and one walk. Hooks (3-0) got the win, while LSU reliever Zac Cowan (1-1) got the loss.

The Rebels had struggled offensively to get anything going after two runs in the first and a run in the second, until that three-run eighth. With the Tigers leading 2-0 after the top of the first on a two-run homer by Jake Brown, in the bottom of the first a Furniss single scored Dom Decker who had singled. Bissetta scored on a passed ball after also reaching on a single.

In the Rebel second, with the score still 2-2, designated hitter Owen Paino recorded his first home run of the season, a solo shot over the wall toward the students in right center.

LSU tied the game in the top of the seventh, but that only set things up for the productive bottom of the eighth for the Ole Miss hitters.

Furniss, Federico and Bissetta all had two hits each to pace the Rebels, while Mason Braun led LSU with three hits. Both teams recorded nine hits in the contest.

Saturday’s second game of the series is set for 4 p.m.

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