Ole Miss Snaps Losing Streak With Wild Walk-Off Win Over Mississippi State

The Ole Miss Rebels came from behind to claim an extra-inning walk-off win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday night.

Ole Miss Rebels first baseman Jackson Ross delivered the walk-off single for his team on Saturday night. / Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD - The Ole Miss Rebels snapped their eight-game losing streak on Saturday night, coming from behind to knock off the Mississippi State Bulldogs 10-9 in 12 innings at Swayze Field.

The Rebels (19-16, 4-10 SEC) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single from catcher Trenton Lyons, and that lead grew to 3-0 in the third on a two-run home run from left fielder Ethan Lege.

Mississippi State would get one run back in the top of the fourth on a solo shot of its own, and then the Bulldogs pushed across three runs in the fifth to claim a 4-3 advantage. One run in the seventh and two runs in the eighth gave the visitors a 7-3 lead entering the bottom of the eighth where Ole Miss' bats returned to life.

That frame saw the Rebels push across four runs to tie the game, and Ole Miss had the winning run in scoring position in the ninth, but Ethan Lege was thrown out in an attempt to advance to third, eventually sending the game to extra innings.

The 10th inning was scoreless for both teams, but Mississippi State struck with a solo home run in the top of the 11th to claim an 8-7 lead. Ole Miss responded, however, as Campbell Smithwick reached on a fielding error that brought home Lege for an unearned run that kept the game alive.

The 12th inning saw even more drama as the Bulldogs accounted for another solo shot, one that featured a bat flip from Mississippi State catcher Johnny Long. That celebration drew the rage of Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco, who was ejected after voicing his displeasure with the umpiring crew.

The bottom of the 12th continued the wild journey, this time in Ole Miss' favor. The Rebels were able to load the bases thanks to a hit by pitch and a pair of walks, and with two down in the frame, Jackson Ross laced a two-RBI single over the shortstop's glove into left field to secure the walk-off win.

The Rebels used a total of six pitchers on the night, including starter Liam Doyle (4.2 IP). The win was awarded to reliever Brayden Jones who tossed one-third of the 12th inning, allowing one hit.

The Rebels will look to claim the series win on Sunday when they face the Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. CT at Swayze Field, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.