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Ole Miss junior shortstop Brayden Randle – who entered Friday night’s NCAA Tournament matchup against Arizona State as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning – hit a walk-off single in the 14th inning, leading the No. 2 seeded Rebels past the No. 3 seeded Sun Devils 7-6 and into the winner’s bracket of the Lincoln Regional at Haymarket Park.
Ole Miss (37-21) faces host Nebraska on Saturday night.
The Rebels’ bullpen duo of sophomore Walker Hooks and junior Hudson Calhoun pitched seven scoreless innings to close out the game. Sophomore outfielder Hayden Federico led the Rebels with four hits, and senior third baseman Judd Utermark and senior outfielder Tristan Bissetta each hit home runs.
Friday was a matchup of ace lefties in Rebels stalwart Hunter Elliott and Arizona State’s Cole Carlon, though neither had their best performance. Elliott, the lone holdover from the 2022 national title team, surrendered four earned runs over five innings of work with four strikeouts and four walks. Carlon, a first-team All-Big 12 pick, surrendered six earned runs over 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts.
Arizona State’s (37-20) Nu’u Contrades hit two home runs, though star outfielder Landon Hairston – the 2026 Big 12 Player of the Year – went 0 for 4 at the plate.
The first four batters of the game reached on Elliott, and the Sun Devils scored two in the first inning on a walk and three singles. Utermark hit the 50th home run of his record-setting career in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead in half.
Contrades led off the third with solo home run to deep left, and the Rebels responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Senior first baseman Will Furniss tied the game 3-3 with a two-run double before senior outfielder Tristan Bissetta scorched a two-run home run 432 feet to right that put Ole Miss in front for the first time. Junior second baseman Dom Decker’s two-out single in the fourth put the Rebels ahead by three.
Arizona State’s Dean Toigo hit a solo homer in the fifth to break up the Rebels’ run of five straight runs scored, though Elliott stranded runners on second and third to end the inning.
Hooks entered the game in the sixth and retired the side in order but surrendered a two-run home run to Contrades in the seventh that tied the game 6-6. Hooks pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief, surrendering two earned runs with four strikeouts. He made a season-high 75 pitches.
The Rebels loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with singles from Furniss and Federico and a walk from junior catcher Austin Fawley, but sophomore shortstop Owen Paino struck out to end the inning. After Hooks retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, Decker drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a groundout. But freshman first baseman Luke Romine – who entered the game after Furniss was pulled for a pinch runner in the eighth – struck out to send the game to extras.
Back-to-back infield singles from Federico and Randle set the Rebels up to win the game in the bottom of the 10th, but Fawley and Paino both struck out to end the inning.
Calhoun entered the game in the 11th with a runner on second and got the final two outs – the last a strikeout of Contrades following an intentional walk to Hairston. Calhoun allowed just one hit over his 3 2/3 innings of work.
Federico’s one-out double and an Arizona State wild pitch set the winning run up at third in the 12th inning, but Federico was thrown out at home on a grounder from Randle. Romine and Bissetta led off the 14th with walks, and Federico legged out an infield single to load the bases. Randle took the first pitch of his at-bat through the right side of the infield to end the game.
Ole Miss faces No. 1 seed Nebraska on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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Ole Miss (37-21) faces host Nebraska on Saturday night.
The Rebels’ bullpen duo of sophomore Walker Hooks and junior Hudson Calhoun pitched seven scoreless innings to close out the game. Sophomore outfielder Hayden Federico led the Rebels with four hits, and senior third baseman Judd Utermark and senior outfielder Tristan Bissetta each hit home runs.
Friday was a matchup of ace lefties in Rebels stalwart Hunter Elliott and Arizona State’s Cole Carlon, though neither had their best performance. Elliott, the lone holdover from the 2022 national title team, surrendered four earned runs over five innings of work with four strikeouts and four walks. Carlon, a first-team All-Big 12 pick, surrendered six earned runs over 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts.
Arizona State’s (37-20) Nu’u Contrades hit two home runs, though star outfielder Landon Hairston – the 2026 Big 12 Player of the Year – went 0 for 4 at the plate.
The first four batters of the game reached on Elliott, and the Sun Devils scored two in the first inning on a walk and three singles. Utermark hit the 50th home run of his record-setting career in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead in half.
Contrades led off the third with solo home run to deep left, and the Rebels responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Senior first baseman Will Furniss tied the game 3-3 with a two-run double before senior outfielder Tristan Bissetta scorched a two-run home run 432 feet to right that put Ole Miss in front for the first time. Junior second baseman Dom Decker’s two-out single in the fourth put the Rebels ahead by three.
Arizona State’s Dean Toigo hit a solo homer in the fifth to break up the Rebels’ run of five straight runs scored, though Elliott stranded runners on second and third to end the inning.
Hooks entered the game in the sixth and retired the side in order but surrendered a two-run home run to Contrades in the seventh that tied the game 6-6. Hooks pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief, surrendering two earned runs with four strikeouts. He made a season-high 75 pitches.
The Rebels loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with singles from Furniss and Federico and a walk from junior catcher Austin Fawley, but sophomore shortstop Owen Paino struck out to end the inning. After Hooks retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, Decker drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a groundout. But freshman first baseman Luke Romine – who entered the game after Furniss was pulled for a pinch runner in the eighth – struck out to send the game to extras.
Back-to-back infield singles from Federico and Randle set the Rebels up to win the game in the bottom of the 10th, but Fawley and Paino both struck out to end the inning.
Calhoun entered the game in the 11th with a runner on second and got the final two outs – the last a strikeout of Contrades following an intentional walk to Hairston. Calhoun allowed just one hit over his 3 2/3 innings of work.
Federico’s one-out double and an Arizona State wild pitch set the winning run up at third in the 12th inning, but Federico was thrown out at home on a grounder from Randle. Romine and Bissetta led off the 14th with walks, and Federico legged out an infield single to load the bases. Randle took the first pitch of his at-bat through the right side of the infield to end the game.
Ole Miss faces No. 1 seed Nebraska on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Continue reading...
