Utermark's Big Fly Highlights Ole Miss Baseball's Friday Night Rout of Wright State

The Ole Miss Rebels did not meet much resistance on Friday night in a series-opening win over the Wright State Raiders.

Judd Utermark celebrates hitting a home run during Ole Miss baseball's win over Wright State at Swayze Field on Feb. 28, 2025. | Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD -- Ole Miss Rebels baseball won its seventh straight game on Friday night as it dominated the Wright State Raiders 9-1 at Swayze Field.

Ole Miss (8-1) turned to staff ace Hunter Elliott for the start on the hill, and while he was not as efficient as he had been in his previous two starts, he did keep the Raiders (3-4) off the board for five innings while striking out seven batters, walking five and allowing just one hit.

The Rebels got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning on a double from center fielder Mitchell Sanford that brought home Luke Hill. They added to their lead in the third inning with an RBI double from Ryan Moerman and a three-run home run from Judd Utermark that traveled 445 feet, according to Ole Miss baseball.

𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗥𝗨𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥:@JuddUtermark
Season: 3rd
Career: 10th https://t.co/Ymj01VYC58 pic.twitter.com/NPwRbfPLpK

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 28, 2025

That 5-0 advantage was added to in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Hill that scored freshman Owen Paino, and a two-RBI double from Moerman in the sixth followed by an RBI double from Sanford made the Rebel advantage 9-0 entering the seventh.

On the hill, Elliott was relieved by Alex Canney after throwing 89 pitches. Canney allowed some traffic on the basepaths in the sixth inning, but he was able to escape the jam and keep Wright State off the scoreboard in that frame, thanks in part to a strong diving play by Luke Hill at third base that kept a ground ball from going into the outfield.

Canney ran into more trouble in the seventh as he was unable to record an out and was credited with one run on his line. Lefty Cade Townsend entered with runners at the corners and no one down in the inning and tallied two strikeouts and a fly out alongside a walk to strand the bases loaded.

In the ninth, Patrick Galle took over on the mound and stranded the bases loaded to secure the win.

Ole Miss will go for the series win on Saturday against Wright State in a 4 p.m. CT first pitch at Swayze Field as right-handed pitcher Riley Maddox (1-1, 6.48 ERA) is expected to toe the rubber for the Rebels against the Raiders' Jarrett Heilman (0-1, 11.57 ERA). The game will be televised on SEC Network+.