OXFORD — Ole Miss hit three home runs Tuesday night as the Rebels took down Southern Miss 11-5 in a rematch of last summer’s Hattiesburg super regional. Ole Miss (11-2) has now won its last four games against the Golden Eagles (8-4).
Senior first baseman Anthony Calarco, senior second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and junior rightfielder T.J. McCants each hit solo home runs. Calarco knocked in another run for No. 4 Ole Miss in the sixth. The Rebels — on a five-game winning streak overall — finished the game with 12 hits, four for extra bases.
Freshman J.T. Quinn’s third-career start started a bit bumpy, as No. 22 Southern Miss loaded the bases and scored a run on an error from junior third baseman Ethan Lege. Two runners reached in both the second and third, but Quinn got out of both innings unscathed. Quinn surrendered no earned runs over four innings of work and made 74 pitches.
“Unfortunately for him, this was the night we chose not to catch the ball. He’s about to make a pitch in the first and get off the field against a really good team over there, and we don’t make the play,” head coach Mike Bianco said. “But then he puts another three zeroes up and gives us a chance to score some runs. I thought he was terrific tonight.”
Calarco tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a home run to right-center. Two batters later, Chatagnier gave the Rebels the lead with a home run to left, and Ole Miss tacked another run on in the third on a bases-loaded balk.
The Rebels scored four runs in the fourth, the last two coming off a single from junior catcher Calvin Harris. McCants hit his longball to right in the fifth. Ole Miss has scored at least 10 runs in eight of its 13 games this season.
“One through nine, it (doesn’t) really matter who’s hitting. We feel really confident (that) whoever’s at the plate’s going to get the job done for us.”
The Golden Eagles scored four runs in the sixth, but senior pitcher Jackson Kimbrell turned a key double-play with the bases loaded to avoid further damage. Ole Miss tacked on an additional two runs in the seventh.
Freshman Sam Tookoian pitched two perfect innings in relief with two strikeouts.
“It probably wasn’t the best I’ve felt at all about my stuff. But luckily it worked,” Tookoian said. “I kind of figured it out a little bit more at the last inning, I think. But, I felt alright. Not great.”
Ole Miss hosts Purdue in a three-game series starting Friday.
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