In game two against Eastern Kentucky, Ole Miss starting pitcher Riley Maddox mirrored the performance of his teammate Hunter Elliott from game one, delivering several solid innings of shutout baseball. The Rebels secured the series win with a 9-4 victory on Saturday.
Offensively, Luke Hill led the charge for Ole Miss with a strong 3-for-4 performance, including an RBI and two runs scored. The team totaled 11 hits in the game.
Maddox, who had previously suffered a loss against Texas in his season opener, bounced back with a strong outing, allowing no runs on just three hits. He struck out five and walked two batters over his time on the mound.
The Rebels’ pitching staff, including relievers Cade Townsend, Brayden Jones, Patrick Galle, and Walker Hooks, worked well in tandem with the potent Ole Miss offense, which featured home runs by Hill, Ryan Moerman, and Collin Reuter.
Ole Miss (5-1) scored in every inning except the fifth, putting up runs in each of the first four innings and in five of the first six to build a commanding five-run lead over EKU (0-6).
The Rebels’ offense got going in the first inning when Hayden Federico was hit by a pitch. Moerman followed with a single, bringing Federico in for the first run of the game. In the second inning, Federico doubled to left field, driving in two runs—Austin Fawley, who was hit by a pitch, and Mitchell Sanford, who had singled.
Up 3-0, Maddox continued to shut down the EKU offense, while the Rebels added another run in the third inning thanks to a leadoff home run by Moerman, giving Ole Miss a 4-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Hill hit a home run to right field, extending the lead to 5-0.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Maddox was replaced by Cade Townsend. The freshman right-hander ran into trouble, allowing a triple to Kam Taylor with the bases loaded, which cut the Rebels’ lead to 5-3.
However, Ole Miss responded in the bottom of the sixth with three runs to push their lead back to 8-3. Reuter led off with a solo home run to left field. After a single by Luke Cheng, Hill also singled, and Moerman walked. Isaac Humphrey was hit by a pitch, and Fawley followed with a walk, driving in another run.
Both teams added a run in the eighth inning. EKU’s Julius Scearce hit a home run for the Colonels, while Sanford singled for the Rebels, bringing Humphrey across the plate for a 9-4 scoreline. In the top of the ninth, Walker Hooks, the fifth pitcher for Ole Miss, sealed the game for the Rebels.
Hill’s performance was the highlight of the offense, but Sanford and Moerman also contributed with two hits each. Maddox earned the win for Ole Miss (1-1), while Bradley Gagen took the loss for Eastern Kentucky (0-1).
The Rebels had defeated EKU 8-0 on Friday, and Sunday’s series finale was set to take place at noon.