Ole Miss scored 11 runs in the first three innings Wednesday to grab an easy 15-2 win over UT-Martin. The Rebels face Rhode Island in a three-game series beginning Friday.
Ole Miss didn’t face much of a challenge Wednesday afternoon in its first midweek game of the year against UT-Martin. The Rebels (4-0) cruised past the Skyhawks (0-5) for a 15-2 win.
“I’m proud of the way we played today,” head coach Mike Bianco said. “I thought the guys were really locked in. We tried to challenge them as best we could during pregame and meetings saying they have to be ready tonight. It was about playing well, and we played as well as you can play I think.”
The Rebels had 18 hits on the night, their most in a game this season, and 12 different players had at least one hit in the game. Ole Miss got on the board with two runs in each of the first two innings, then pushed its lead to 11-0 with seven in the third. Ole Miss tacked on two runs in the fifth and seventh innings, while UT-Martin plated two runs in the sixth.
Ole Miss sent six different pitchers to the mound. Sophomore right-hander Sam Smith (1-0), who started the game, earned his first win of the season. He gave up one hit with three strikeouts and one walk in three scoreless innings.
Freshman left-hander Matt Denny, freshman right-hander Brady Bramlett, junior left-hander Austin Blunt and sophomore right-hander Scott Weathersby combined for five innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball, while sophomore right-hander Hawtin Buchanan allowed two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and two walks in his inning of work.
One of the many bright spots in the game for the Rebels was junior Preston Overbey, who started his first game at second base. Overbey, one of the most versatile players for the Rebels, has played outfield, first base, catcher and third during his career. Overbey also went 2-for-5, driving in two runs and scoring twice.
“They actually let me practice their yesterday,” Overbey said of playing second. “My brother (sophomore Jake Overbey), (junior) Lance (Wilson) and (senior John) Gatlin helped me learn it real quick. One day that’s it.”
Bianco said he was pleased with what he saw from Overbey at second.
“We took some ground balls yesterday, and it was something we wanted to see if it would happen at some point,” Bianco said of playing Overbey at second base. “He’s got to get in the lineup. We’ve got to get him at-bats. He turns a double-play over, and he made two other plays over there, and of course, he swung it well.”
Bianco said he also believes Overbey is one of the more versatile players on the team that can play nearly everywhere.
“He is a big, physical kid that is very athletic,” Bianco said. “He can do a lot of different things. It gives us some options. We are trying to do some different things and he is the guy that you can move around, so that is nice to have.”
The Rebels will resume play with a three-game series against Rhode Island. First pitch for Friday’s series opener from Oxford University Stadium/Swayze Field is set for 4 p.m.
