OXFORD, Miss. — In a thrilling elimination game at the Oxford Regional, Isaac Humphrey’s impressive performance helped boost Ole Miss to an 11-9 victory over Georgia Tech. Humphrey drove in four runs, including a home run in the opening inning, setting the stage for the Rebels’ success. Will Furniss contributed definitively with a crucial RBI single in the seventh inning, securing the decisive lead for Mississippi on Sunday.
Despite falling to the Racers of Murray State 9-6 in the initial round, Ole Miss, now standing at 42-20, advanced to a match later that day against Murray State in the championship round. In order to clinch the double-elimination regional, the Rebels were required to triumph over the Racers twice, potentially extending play into Monday.
Key moments included Mitchell Sanford’s strategic play, singling before executing a steal to second base. He then scored via a two-out hit by Furniss, pushing Mississippi ahead. Additionally, Campbell Smithwick’s solo home run in the eighth inning capped off the scoring for the Rebels.
Early in the game, momentum swung back and forth. Georgia Tech got off to a strong start with Kent Schmidt’s two-run homer and Kyle Lodise’s solo home run in the opening inning. However, Humphrey quickly countered with a three-run homer, followed by RBI singles from Luke Hill and Austin Fawley, propelling Ole Miss to a 5-3 advantage.
The Yellow Jackets responded fiercely in the fourth inning with back-to-back homers by Drew Burress and Schmidt, complemented by Caleb Daniel’s two-run double, moving them to a two-run lead.
Ole Miss combated the challenge with Judd Utermark launching a lead-off homer in the sixth, and following a series of strategic plays, including walks drawn by Smithwick and Sanford, the game was once again tied.
On the mound, Will McCausland steadied the game, delivering two innings of scoreless relief. Connor Spencer took the reins in a tense ninth inning, skillfully navigating a dangerous situation with runners on first and second. Spencer successfully coerced a fly-out, intentionally walked Schmidt, and ultimately struck out Lodise, securing his eighth save of the season.