Ole Miss Baseball Shuts Out No. 15 Kentucky in Series Opener

Oxford, Miss. — Ole Miss baseball opened its Southeastern Conference series against Kentucky with a 5-0 victory Thursday night at Swayze Field. The Rebels, now 18-5 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, received a dominant pitching performance from Hunter Elliott and key offensive contributions from Tristan Bissetta.

Elliott, a left-handed ace, pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out six and issuing two walks. He faced 24 batters and earned his third win of the season. Taylor Rabe closed out the game, striking out five over 2.2 innings to earn his second save.

Bissetta homered twice and drove in three runs for Ole Miss. His first homer came in the bottom of the first inning with Hayden Federico on base after a single. Bissetta’s second solo shot in the sixth extended the lead to 4-0. Will Furniss added a home run in the eighth for insurance.

Ole Miss’s offense totaled eight hits, including doubles by Austin Fawley and Brayden Randle, who also tripled in the game. Kentucky’s pitching staff struggled, with starter Ben Cleaver taking the loss after allowing four runs in five innings. The Wildcats fell to 18-3 overall and 3-1 in SEC play.

The series continues Friday with a game scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Swayze Field. The Rebels aim to build on their win as they host the Wildcats in the second game of the series.

Source: Original Article