Ole Miss Baseball Stuns Florida with Ninth-Inning Rally to Win Series

Gainesville, Fla. — Ole Miss baseball (22-11, 5-7 SEC) rallied in the ninth inning to defeat No. 21 Florida 5-2 Saturday night and win the series on the road. The Rebels scored five runs in the final frame to secure the victory.

Cade Townsend pitched a career-high six innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six. He retired the first six batters he faced and faced only eight more in his outing. His only blemish came in the third inning, when Florida’s Jacob Kendall tripled and scored on a wild pitch to give the Gators a 1-0 lead.

Florida added a second run in the seventh to lead 2-0 entering the ninth. Ole Miss’s Tristan Bissetta opened the inning with a walk, setting the stage for Judd Utermark, who hit a 110-mph, 404-foot home run to tie the game. It was Utermark’s 42nd career homer, placing him third all-time in Ole Miss history.

The Rebels continued their rally as Will Furniss singled, Owen Paino drew a walk, and Cannon Goldin was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brayden Randle then drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, giving Ole Miss a 3-2 lead. Hayden Federico added two insurance runs with a single to center, making it 5-2.

Walker Hooks closed the game in the bottom of the ninth, striking out two to earn the win and secure Ole Miss’s first series victory over a ranked opponent on the road since 2022, according to team sources.

The Rebels will host Alcorn State on April 7 at 6:30 p.m. CT in Oxford. Fans can watch the game on SECN+ and follow live updates through Ole Miss’s social media channels.

Source: Original Article