Ole Miss’s power hitters came to life in a big way Friday night at Swayze Field in Oxford, Miss.
The Rebels hit three home runs in the sixth inning in route to the Rebels’ 7-4 win against Jacksonville State. The last time an Ole Miss team hit as many as three homers in one inning was just last season in a 25-2 win against High Point on Feb. 25, 2024. In that game, the Rebels hit four in the first inning
Before the Rebels’ started their home run onslaught, they found themselves trailing 4-2 and with two outs already recorded. Then, Austin Fawley homered over the center field wall, followed by a Will Furniss homer to right. After Luke Cheng was hit by a pitch, Hayden Federico launched one to right and the Rebels were leading for the first time, 6-4.
Morris pitched a career-high 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts, also a career high. He allowed just one hit and no runs with three walks in addition to the seven strikeouts.
Hunter Elliott allowed four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks in his time on the mound. Jacksonville State scored a run in the first, a run in the second, and two runs in the third. But that was all they would scratch across after Mason Morris entered the contest. Connor Spencer came in after Morris to close the game out in the ninth for the Rebels, facing three Gamecock batters with two fly outs and a strikeout. It was his second save of the season and Morris’s second win.
Ole Miss outhit Jacksonville State 10-6 in the opener. The Rebels were led by Ryan Moerman with two hits, and a multitude of players with one each – Federico, Luke Hill, Mitchell Sanford, Utermark, Humphrey, Fawley, Furniss, and Cheng.
The Rebels (12-1) and the Gamecocks (10-4) play game two of the weekend series at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
