Long Ball Propels Ole Miss Past Missouri

OXFORD, Miss. (Ole Miss Athletics) – The Rebels got seven runs on the afternoon – six of them off home runs – as No. 14 Ole Miss (20-4, 3-2 SEC) powered past Missouri (11-11, 1-4 SEC) with a 7-1 victory on Saturday to clinch the weekend series.

Sikes Orvis hit a pair of home runs in the win, including a two-run shot and a solo shot, while Will Allen added a three-run home run for six of the Rebels’ seven runs on the afternoon.

Christian Trent (3-0) picked up the win as he worked 6.0 innings and allowed one run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Aaron Greenwood picked up his first save of the inning, working the final 3.0 innings with a walk and a strikeout after entering the game with two on and no outs in the seventh.

Peter Fairbanks (2-2) took the loss for Missouri, allowing four runs on three hits with a walk in 2.0 innings of work.

“We swung it well,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “One of the things is we have some older, physical guys that have had success. When you look at college sports, the older guys seem to take it to another level. We have 19 juniors and seniors like (Preston) Overbey, Boz (Auston Bousfield), (Will) Allen and (Sikes) Orvis. Those guys are having a great year for us.”

Ole Miss jumped out to the early lead for the second straight day, using a three-run shot from Allen to claim a 3-0 lead out of the gates. Braxton Lee and Austin Anderson reached on a fielder’s choice and a double, setting up the three-run home run from Allen that sailed into the bullpen in left.

Missouri answered in the second, loading the bases with back-to-back singles and a walk before Dylan Kelly would hit a sac fly to right to bring home the Tigers’ only run of the day. The Rebels turned two on the fly out before Trent would get a strikeout to end the inning.

Auston Bousfield and Lee started the third with a walk and a single before Anderson brought Bousfield home with a sac fly to center. Sikes Orvis then stepped to the plate and delivered the first of two home runs on the afternoon – this one a two-run shot into the student section in right field, to push the Rebels out to a 6-1 lead on the Tigers.

Orvis again came through in the seventh, driving a two-out pitch into the right field stands for the second time on the afternoon to take the Rebels’ lead out to 7-1.

Greenwood and the Ole Miss defense kept Missouri in check the rest of the way to clinch the series.

The Rebels and Tigers will conclude the series at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Swayze Field.