OXFORD, Miss. — In a thrilling turn of events, Murray State clinched victory over top-seeded Mississippi in the Oxford Regional with a 9-6 win on Friday night, thanks to a pivotal RBI by Dom Decker that brought Conner Cunningham home in the eighth inning. The Racers, entering the competition as a No. 4 seed, improved their overall record to 40-13 and secured a spot in Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, who previously overcame West Virginia. Meanwhile, Ole Miss, holding a respectable 40-20 record, will face West Virginia in a must-win elimination match.
Murray State’s performance was bolstered by standout player Dustin Mercer, who recorded an impressive four doubles while adding three RBIs to his team’s total. Jonathan Hogart also made significant contributions with three hits and three runs. Hogart made a quick impact by launching the game’s first pitch beyond the center-field wall. Following Hogart’s lead, Mercer doubled and managed to score on a fielder’s choice, setting a 2-0 lead early on.
Adding to the momentum, the Racers scored two additional runs in the second inning courtesy of Mercer’s second double and a sacrifice fly executed by Carson Garner. Ole Miss retaliated in the third inning with Judd Utermark’s three-run homer, narrowing the scoreboard gap to 4-3. Ole Miss captured the lead only once in the fourth inning when Campbell Smithwick started the inning with a solo home run, and later, Luke Hill hit an RBI-single.
Despite their effort, the Rebels couldn’t maintain the lead. In the ninth inning, with Judd Utermark at bat and two runners on base, closer Graham Kelham secured his fifth save by striking Utermark out. The match concluded with a popup by Smithwick, dashing Ole Miss’s comeback hopes. Jacob Hustedde, earning his second win, sealed the victory by acquiring the last two outs in the seventh inning.