No. 4 Ole Miss Takes Series Opener Over Purdue

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

No. 4 Ole Miss’s high-powered offense propelled the Rebels to a  15- 7 victory over Purdue in the series opener on Friday. 

Ole Miss (12-2) got home runs by Kemp Alderman and TJ McCants. The Rebels have hit a total of 27 home runs on the season.

Ole Miss got off to a hot start in the first as all nine batters came to the plate and four runs came into score. The Rebels got the frame started by a hit-by-pitch to Jacob Gonzalez followed by a walk to Ethan Groff. Ole Miss then got RBI hits by Alderman, Anthony Calarco, Peyton Chatagnier and Will Furniss.

Junior right-hander Jack Dougherty was dominate on the mound against the Boilermakers. He made it difficult for Purdue to get on base through three innings.

The offense extends the lead in the second, capped off by a towering three-run home run to left by Alderman. Furniss drove in Calarco for the eighth run of the game.

Alderman drove in the ninth run of the game for the Rebels in the third on a sac fly RBI that scored Groff.

Alderman went 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs.

The Boilermakers got on the scoreboard in the fourth on a three-run home run off the bat of Jeke Jarvis that made it 9-3 Ole Miss. 

Purdue with back-to-back doubles by Paul Toetz and CJ Valdez that made it 9-4 Rebels. Three sluggers later Jo Stevens drove in the fifth run for the Boilermakers.

Dougherty (2-1) worked 5.2 innings surrendered six runs on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts to pick up the win.

Coach Mike Bianco brought Brayden Jones out of the bullpen. Purdue scored it’s sixth run on a wild pitch.

In the home half of the sixth McCants sent a ball out to the student section in right.

Jones turned the ball over to Mitch Murrell in the seventh and tossed 1.1 innings with a hit. Mason Morris entered in the ninth to close out the game.

Purdue cut into the Ole Miss lead with a run in the seventh.

In the seventh, the Rebels score five more runs all capped off by McCants second home run to right.

McCants finished the night going 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Ole Miss and Purdue return for game two of the series on Saturday at noon. The Rebels will have Grayson Saunier on the mound. Fans can stream the game on The SEC Network+.