GAME RECAP: Ole Miss Stays Hot in Series-Opening Win Over Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Ole Miss Rebels refused to cool off on the road Friday night, powering past the Tennessee Volunteers 7-4 in the series opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Ole Miss (28-11, 9-7 SEC) jumped on Tennessee (25-13, 7-9 SEC) with a balanced offensive attack that featured three home runs and clutch two-out hitting, while the pitching staff limited the damage after an early scare. The Rebels improved to 7-1 in their last eight contests and grabbed the early edge in what figures to be a pivotal SEC weekend series in Knoxville.

Hunter Elliott (4-1) earned the victory with a solid six-inning start, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He navigated traffic effectively after Reese Chapman’s solo homer in the first gave the Vols an early 1-0 lead. Hudson Calhoun came on in relief and fired two scoreless innings with four punchouts, and Walker Hooks locked down the ninth for his third save of the year, retiring the side in order.

The Rebel bats woke up in a big way after the first inning. Hayden Federico got things rolling with a solo shot to right field in the second to tie it at 1-1. The third inning turned into a homer party: Tristan Bissetta launched one to right-center and Judd Utermark followed with a blast down the right-field line to put Ole Miss ahead 3-1.

Ole Miss kept the pressure on in the fourth when Dom Decker ripped an RBI single through the left side to score Owen Paino and make it 4-1. They added two more in the fifth on Federico’s RBI single and a run that scored on a double-play grounder, pushing the lead to 6-2.

Tennessee made it interesting in the seventh with Jay Abernathy’s two-run homer, cutting the deficit to 7-4. But the Rebel bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way. Federico finished the night 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a homer, while Bissetta and Utermark each added a long ball and a run scored. The Rebels racked up eight hits total and did just enough damage against Tennessee starter Landon Mack (L, 3-3), who lasted 5⅓ innings and took the loss.

With the series-opening victory in hand, Ole Miss stays firmly in the mix in the SEC standings and carries serious momentum into Saturday’s contest. The Rebels have now won seven straight and look poised to make a statement in hostile territory at Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend.

Up Next: Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET in Knoxville