OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss starting pitcher Riley Maddox did in game two against Eastern Kentucky what his counterpart Hunter Elliott had done in game one.
He gave the Rebels several solid innings of shutout baseball. On Saturday, Ole Miss took the series with a 9-4 win.
Offensively, it was Luke Hill and his 3-for-4 day with an RBI and two runs scored that paced Ole Miss, which had 11 hits in the game.
Maddox bounced back from a loss against Texas in his first start this season, allowing no EKU runs with three hits, five strikeouts, and two walks.
Maddox, along with Rebel relievers Cade Townsend, Brayden Jones, Patrick Galle, and Walker Hooks, got help from the productive Rebel offense that featured home runs by Hill, Ryan Moerman, and Collin Reuter.
Ole Miss (5-1) put up at least one run in each of the first four innings and in five of the first six to lead EKU (0-6) at that point by five runs.
In the first, Hayden Federico was hit by a pitch to reach. Moerman singled later to drive Federico in for the game’s first run.
In the second, Federico doubled down the left field line to score both Austin Fawley who was hit by a pitch and Mitchell Sanford who singled to right field.
Up 3-0 and with Maddox pitching well, the Rebels added a run in the bottom of the third on a leadoff homer by Moerman for a 4-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Hill homered to right to make it 5-0.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Maddox was relieved by Cade Townsend. The freshman right-hander ran into some trouble and with three aboard, gave up a triple by Kam Taylor. The Rebs led 5-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ole Miss answered with three runs to extend its lead to 8-3. Reuter led things off with a solo shot over the left field wall.
Luke Cheng singled and one out later Hill singled. After another out, Moerman walked. Isaac Humphrey was hit by a pitch, and Fawley walked. And the Rebel lead was again five runs.
Both teams scored a run in the eighth. Julius Scearce homered for EKU, and in the Rebels’ at-bat Sanford singled to score Humphrey. The score was 9-4, and in the top of the ninth, Hooks, the last of five pitchers for Ole Miss, wrapped things up.
In addition to Hill’s productive day at the plate, Sanford and Moerman had two hits each for the Rebels.
Maddox (1-1) got the win, while Colonels’ starter Bradley Gagen (0-1) got the loss.
On Friday the Rebels defeated the Colonels 8-0. Sunday’s series finale is set for Noon.
Information from Ole Miss Sports is included in this story.
