In the brisk, blustery conditions of Oxford, the Ole Miss Rebels showcased a fresh approach to victory on Saturday, taking down Missouri State 6-3 to secure the series. Gone was the heavy-hitting style of old; instead, the Rebels leaned on precision pitching and airtight defense to get the job done. With the sweep on the horizon, they’ll look to finish strong on Sunday.
Head coach Mike Bianco summed it up perfectly: “We had to really pitch and play defense and put it together.” And that they did. Ole Miss, now sitting pretty at 7-0, played error-free baseball, racking up nine hits-seven of which were singles-and only allowing one walk while striking out 13.
The Rebels got on the board early with a first-inning run but hit a lull until the bats came alive again. Austin Fawley delivered a crucial three-RBI double, breaking away from their Conference USA foes.
The sequence started with Collin Reuter and Will Furniss doubling and singling, respectively, followed by a walk from Cannon Goldin to set the stage for Fawley’s heroics. Hayden Federico then laid down a textbook squeeze bunt to cap a productive inning.
Tristan Bissetta got things rolling with an RBI single in the first, and Dom Decker added some cushion with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, bringing Brayden Randle home.
Missouri State made a late push, plating two runs in the eighth and bringing the tying run to the plate. However, Landon Koenig induced a crucial groundout to end the threat and went on to secure a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.
Cade Townsend was once again stellar on the mound, blanking Missouri State over four innings with eight strikeouts, surrendering just two hits without issuing a walk. His control was impressive, throwing 43 of his 63 pitches for strikes, a testament to his recovery from a preseason groin injury. Townsend’s repertoire kept the Bears off balance, even as he shifted focus from his slider to a dominant fastball and curveball combo.
Taylor Rabe picked up the win, allowing three runs on three hits over 3.1 innings, striking out three and giving up a solo homer. He threw a solid 67 percent of his pitches for strikes.
Fawley, who had struggled early in the season, found his groove with a 3-for-5 performance, adding to his four RBIs from Friday. Bissetta and Furniss chipped in with two hits each, while Reuter continued his hot streak with another double.
As the Rebels gear up for Ohio State next week, they’ll look to build on this well-rounded performance, with Townsend expected to stretch his pitch count further in Houston.