No. 1 Ole Miss Defeats Auburn in SEC Opener

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

No. 1 Ole Miss opened SEC play strong with a 13-6 victory over the Auburn Tigers on Thursday night. 

Ole Miss (14-3, 1-0 SEC) belted three home runs on the night Jacob Gonzalez (2) and Reagan Burford. 

Gonzalez led off the game with a solo home run. 

The Rebels southpaw John Gaddis surrendered a two run home run to Sonny DiChiari for the Tigers to take a 2-1 lead. 

Ole Miss answered in the second with a run as Justin Bench scored on a base knock by Hayden Leatherwood. Burford delivered his first career home run in the frame that was a two run blast. 

In the second, Gaddis allowed two more runs to Auburn (13-5, 0-1 SEC) that knotted the game at 4-4. 

Ole Miss took the lead back in the third as Tim Elko doubled to right and brought home TJ McCants 5-4.

Coach Mike Bianco brought Dylan DeLucia in to pitch in the third to face DiChiari and struck him out. Gaddis finished the night 3.2 innings allowed four runs on seven hits. He retired six Tigers by strikeout and walked four batters. 

In the fourth, Gonzalez hit his second bomb of the night as Ole Miss added two runs in the frame.

 Ole Miss opened the game in sixth as they scored six runs in the frame. The Rebels took a 13-4 lead over the Tigers. Auburn scratched for two runs in the home half of the inning.

DeLucia (1-0)tossed 3.1 innings allowed two runs on six hits to pick up the victory.  He turned the ball over to Josh Mallitiz in the eighth. He closed the door on the Tigers in the last two innings. 

The Rebels have now hit 28 home runs as a club  on the season. 

Ole Miss and Auburn return to the diamond on Friday at 6 p.m. on SEC Network +.