By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
No. 10 Ole Miss defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 10-1 on Sunday to take the series on the road.
Ole Miss’ (19-8, 4-5 SEC) offense hit three home runs on the afternoon by Tim Elko, Jacob Gonzalez and TJ McCants.
Rebels starter Jack Washburn made it difficult for Kentucky to get any offense production going. Washburn put up zeros on the scoreboard until Ole Miss’ offense got going.
In the fourth, Elko singled followed by a double off the bat of Regan Burford. McCants delivered a sac fly that brought Elko home. The Rebels catcher Hayden Dunhurst brought the second run into score.
Ole Miss used a six-run fifth inning to open the game up against the Wildcats. Elko delivered his eleventh home run of the season to start the frame. Burford scored the fourth run of the game on a fielder’s choice by Kemp Alderman in which he reached first safely. Hayden Leatherwood roped a double that plated Alderman. The frame was then capped off by a three-run bomb by Gonzalez to center field. The Rebels would take an 8-0 advantage into the bottom of the inning.
Kentucky scored its lone run of the day off of Washburn on a solo home run by Chase Estep in the fifth.
Washburn (4-1) worked 5.0 innings allowed a run on four hits struck out six with two walks and a hit by pitch to pick up the win in his first SEC start.
Head coach Mike Bianco brought in Jack Dougherty out of the bull pen in the sixth. Dougherty picked up where Washburn left off by not allowing the Wildcats to score. He tossed three complete frames with only two hits and three strikeouts. In the ninth, Dougherty handed the ball to John Gaddis to finish the game. Gaddis allowed two hits while striking out two Kentucky sluggers.
Ole Miss pitchers struck out 11 total Kentucky batters.
The Rebels added a run in the seventh and the eighth as McCants hit a solo home run (seventh) and added an RBI ground out (eighth) that brought Justin Bench home.
McCants finished the afternoon going 2-for-4 at the plate with a run and three RBIs.
Ole Miss steps out of conference play on Tuesday as they travel down to Pearl and take on Southern Miss at 6 p.m. before welcoming the Alabama Crimson Tide into Swayze next weekend.
