OXFORD – Ole Miss finished off its three-game sweep of Evansville on Sunday, defeating the Purple Aces 8-3 in the series finale. The teams played a doubleheader Friday due to inclement weather Saturday.
Senior outfielder Tristan Bissetta hit a three-run home run in the third inning, his seventh long ball of the season. The Rebels (15-2), who have won five straight games, outscored Evansville (3-11) 29-7 over the three-game set.
“I think it was a good weekend for us offensively,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “Sometimes when you don’t hit a ton of home runs … it’s not a huge light show. But I thought, again, a good game by us.”
Sophomore Wil Libbert started for Ole Miss and pitched five innings and surrendered two runs. He had five strikeouts, two walks and two hit-by-pitches. Rebels pitchers struck out 14 batters total.
Libbert struck out the side in the first inning, and the Rebels scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly. The Purple Aces loaded the bases with one out in the second and scored two runs on a single from Drew McConnell. Ole Miss tied the game with a sacrifice fly from sophomore outfielder Hayden Federico in the bottom of the inning.
Ole Miss broke the game open with six combined runs in the third, fourth and innings via home runs from Bissetta and junior shortstop Brayden Randle and a fielder’s choice/ throwing error. It was Randle’s first home run of the season. Libbert hit a pair of batters in the fourth inning but was able to get out of the frame unscathed. He surrendered three hits in his five innings of work.
“We’ve had five games in six days, but we’ve pitched it really well over that,” Bianco said.
Hooks entered the game in the sixth and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out six of the nine batters he faced. Sophomore Terry Hayes Jr., junior Patrick Collopy and senior Landon Waters pitched the remaining 1 1/3 innings.
“It was a great weekend (for the pitching staff),” Hooks said. “Good to get the momentum going into next week.”
Ole Miss plays at Southern Miss tonight at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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