In a thrilling showdown on Saturday, the Ole Miss Rebels faced off against the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats in the decisive game of their series, aiming to secure their first SEC series victory of the season. The Rebels triumphed with a score of 12-9 in this action-packed finale.
The turning point came in the fourth inning when Daniel Pacella launched a grand slam, showcasing Ole Miss’s power-hitting prowess. This victory followed a 5-0 win for Ole Miss on Thursday night and a 3-1 loss to Kentucky on Friday.
Coach Mike Bianco reflected on the team’s mindset, stating, “We talked about being tougher offensively. Can we be the offense that we want to be? To do that, it’s more of an attitude, and it’s hard, I get it. In last night’s game, that’s what happens when you are trying to change the attitude a little bit when the other guys are just so-so good. We were different last night, even though we got dominated on the mound. I think we were different, and that’s why I think we had a shot late in the game.”
Starting pitcher Will Libbert took the mound for Ole Miss but faced immediate challenges as Kentucky opened with back-to-back walks. Just two batters later, Hudson Brown hit a bases-clearing double.
Kentucky threatened early by loading the bases in the first inning but saw their hopes dashed when Tristan Bissetta made an impressive catch along right field.
Nate Harris, Kentucky’s pitcher, quickly dispatched Ole Miss’s first four batters until Collin Reuter broke through with a one-out double. Shortly after, Pacella hit a ball that slipped under third base gloves and allowed Reuter to score. Austin Fawley then contributed with a solid hit up the middle.
Libbert found his rhythm over the next three innings and kept Kentucky scoreless until Owen Jenkins led off the fourth with a single but was left stranded at second base.
The game shifted dramatically in the fourth inning: Will Furniss began with a double to left field, followed by walks from Reuter and Dom Decker that loaded up the bases. Then Pacella stepped up and smashed his grand slam over right field. He ended his day going 1-for-3 at bat with two runs scored and four RBIs.
Harris pitched three-plus innings for Kentucky, giving up five runs on four hits while walking three batters and striking out two.
For Ole Miss, Libbert pitched four-plus innings as well, surrendering four runs on five hits alongside four walks and five strikeouts before Bianco turned to Landon Koeing from the bullpen for just one-third of an inning—allowing four runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Walker Hooks took over with one out in the fifth inning and delivered an impressive performance over 4.2 innings—allowing only one run on three hits while walking one batter and striking out five to earn his victory.
Kentucky made noise again in the fifth inning when Carson Hansen blasted another grand slam as they piled on six total runs during that frame.
Ole Miss responded in kind: they scored once in the sixth before launching into an explosive seventh inning where Tristan Bissetta kicked things off with a leadoff home run followed by Reuter’s two-run homer. The Rebels capped off their scoring spree thanks to Furniss’s clutch hit that brought home Judd Utermark and Bissetta for two more RBIs.
Looking ahead, Ole Miss is set to return to action this Tuesday as they head north along I-55 for a matchup against the Memphis Tigers at 6 p.m.!
