Hunter Elliott
Ole Miss walked a fine line all night at Auburn, but again played well on defense to turn back the Tigers 6-4 in Game 1 of the Auburn Super Regional at Plainsville Park.
The win leaves Ole Miss one win away from going back to Omaha and the College World Series. Game 2 will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday between the two SEC rivals. A third game would be Sunday at TBA on ESPN.
Ole Miss, 40-21, built a 6-2 lead and then hung on.
BOX SCORE | https://olemisssports.com/documents/2026/6/6/Super_Regional_Game_1_Box.pdf
Mason McCrainie bombed a home run off Ole Miss closer Walker Hooks to lead off the ninth inning. Hooks then got a fly out to center for one out.
That brought up Auburn’s great slugger Chase Fralick. Hooks hit him to bring up the tying run. Chris Rembert hit a hard liner but it was caught for the second out. Hooks appeared to fan Ethin Bingaman but got one more swing. He, too, then flied out to Tristan Bissetta in right to end the game, 6-4.
Utermark had two hits, the bomb, a nubby single and two RBIs. Brayden Randle had two hits and two RBIs as the Rebs went out to a 2-1 lead. Collin Reuter also had a two-run homer to account for the Rebel runs.
“We kind of call ourselves the Cardiac Friends, but we have been playing well and have gone on this winning streak,” Utermark said. Ole Miss is 4-0 in this NCAA Tournament.
Auburn sold out its park and the place was rocking but Utermark said the Nebraska scene helped them.
“Really glad to be here.”
Hunter Elliott struggled through five innings as Auburn had 10 reach base but only two scored. Ole Miss scored first when Hayden Federico reached on a hit by pitch and then scored on a RBI hit by Brayden Randle.
Auburn tied it with a sac fly from Fralick in the third.
Randle untied it in the fourth when he singled home Austin Fawley who had delivered a two-out double.
Ole Miss extended the lead to 4-1 in the fifth when Dom Decker singled and Judd Utermark followed with a towering home run over the Green Monster in left.
Auburn appeared to set to get right back in it. McCraine walked and a Chris Rembert hit made it 4-2. That was all for Elliott. Hudson Calhoun, however, was sharp striking out Bingaman and then got Bub Terrell to fly out to center.
Ole Miss extended its lead to 6-2 with a two-out rally in the sixth. Randle walked and Collin Reuter greeted the new Auburn reliever Cormier with a rocket for a two-run home run.
Auburn got a run back in the seventh when McCraine singled in a run after a double.
