The No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels came away with a strong 8-3 win over the No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores in the opening matchup of series on Friday Night at Swayze Field.
The Rebels came out with a hot start as Hunter Elliot came out firing in the first recording a first pitch ground out before allowing a base runner due to an error.
However, Elliot used his signature pickoff to eliminate the running threat.
Elliot found himself in two out trouble but worked out of it with a strikeout to go untouched in the frame.
Ole Miss then quickly hopped out to a 1-0 lead after Hayden Federico launched the first pitch he saw over the left cent field wall for his fourth bomb of the year.
Vandy came out firing in response as Jacob Humphrey flew around the bases for a lead off triple, which he would eventually score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Collin Barcazi to knot the game at 1 a piece.
Both offenses seemed to slow down as Elliot and JD Tomphson settled in especially with runners on.
However, Rebels infielder Luke Hill found a barrel and launched a ball of the batters eye in center field to re instate the Rebels lead in the fifth making it a 2-1 ball game.
The Rebels added on three more starting with Will Furniss smacking a single up the middle scoring Mitchell Sanford from second and senind Ryan Moreman to third.
Moreman then quickly found his way home as Thomphson threw one away to the backstop for a wild pitch.
Furniss found himself on third as Isaac Humphrey smacked through a single before finding himself at the plate with yet another wild pitch.
The wild pitch parade continued as Humphrey advanced home on the third wild pitch of the inning to give Ole Miss a 5-1 lead before handing the ball over to Mason Morris.
Morris came out of the pen and quickly recorded two strikeouts in four batters faced in the sixth inning.
England Bryan came out of the pen for the Commodores and found himself in a bit of trouble with a two out walk and hit by pitch, but bounced back with a big strikeout on Moreman to end the inning and escape scoreless.
Offenses once again went quite but Vanderbilt put themselves back in it as Braden Holcomb sent a no doubt shot over the right center wall for a two run homer cutting into the Ole Miss lead making it a 5-3 game in the eighth.
Following the home run, David Mendez smacked a single through the 6-4 hole knocking Morris out of the game as Will McCausland entered for the Rebels.
McCausland and Fawley got it done as they turned a strike em out throw em out double play to end the inning and send Ole Miss into the ninth with a lead.
The Rebels tacked on another insurance run as they took advantage of a pair of wild pitches and a throwing error.
The Rebels followed that up with a Judd Utermark no doubter over the vistors bullpen in left for a two run homer giving Ole Miss an 8-3 lead with no one out in the inning.
The Rebels stuck with McCausland for the ninth and he shut down Vanderbilt’s 8,9,1 hitters in order to secure the series opening victory.
