No. 3 Ole Miss Defeats UNA

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

No. 3 Ole Miss baseball put on a hitting display against the North Alabama Lions in a 20-6 (seven innings) victory on Monday.

Ole Miss (22-6, 7-2 SEC) scored nine runs in the second inning on six extra-base hits that included three triples, two doubles and a home run as a total of 13 Rebels came up to the dish. This is the first time the Rebels have accomplished this feat since taking on Arkansas Pine Bluff on March 20, 2019, in the third inning.

The Rebels got a triple off the barrels of Justin Bench, Knox Loposer and TJ McCants. The home run was by Kevin Graham. Graham has reached base in 21 straight games.

The Rebels left fielder, Graham, finished the day going 2-for-3 with two runs and five RBI. Bench finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.

In the fourth, Ole Miss first baseman Tim Elko went down after a collision at first.

Loposer was a home run away from hitting for the cycle. He added a double in the second after his triple followed it up with a base rip in the fourth. In the sixth, Loposer sent a ball for a deep ride to straightaway center field to almost complete the cycle but came up just short.

The Rebels starter Josh Mallitz (3-1) tossed three complete innings allowed two runs on five hits. Mallitz continued to add to his strikeout total with four against the Lions. Mallitz picked up his third win of the season.

North Alabama scratched across four runs in the game as two came in third and fourth. The Lions tacked on a run in the sixth and in the seventh.

Head coach Mike Bianco brought Cody Adcock in from the bullpen in the fourth. The Rebel right-hander worked two innings allowing two runs on three hits. Max Cioffi and Mitch Murrell tossed an inning each.

Ole Miss returns to action on Tuesday as they welcome Alcorn State into Swayze. The Rebels will have Drew McDaniel on the hill. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.