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Oxford, Mississippi

Alderman's walk-off blast seals Rebels' win over Purdue

194 days ago
Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD, Miss. -- Kemp Alderman's 10th-inning solo home run into the Rebel bullpen in right lifted No. 4 Ole Miss past Purdue 7-6 on Saturday to claim the series.

The game was 6-6 after nine complete, and reliever Mason Nichols was able to keep the Boilermakers off the scoreboard in the top of the 10th. Purdue put in its third pitcher of the day, Jackson Dannelley, for the bottom half of the 10th.

The first batter up was Alderman. On a 3-1 pitch, he ended the game with a blast that just cleared the right-field fence to secure the Ole Miss victory.

Nichols (1-0) got the win. Dannelley (1-1) got the loss.

For the second consecutive game, Alderman had five RBIs. He was 3-for-5 on Saturday with a walk and two runs scored.

Calvin Harris was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

In the first inning, the Rebels scored two runs after Ole Miss starter Grayson Saunier, a right-handed freshman, had walked three in the top of the first but escaped with no damage. In the bottom of the first, Alderman singled to left to score Jacob Gonzalez, who had singled, and Ethan Groff, who had walked.

Purdue had a big top of the second, scoring four runs on a RBI single by Couper Cornblum and a three-run homer by Paul Toetz.

It remained 4-2 Boilermakers until the bottom of the third when Ole Miss scored on Alderman's first homer of the contest, this one a two-run shot.

In the fourth inning, Peyton Chatagnier led off the inning with a home run to give the Rebels a one-run lead at 5-4.

Saunier was relieved to start the fifth by Jordan Vera. The freshman right-hander made it through one out in the sixth when Jake Parr doubled down the right field line.

Vera was then removed in favor of another freshman right-hander, Sam Tookoian, who took care of the Boilermakers in the inning and left Parr stranded at second.

Purdue starter Jonathan Blackwell, a left-hander, made it through five and a third and was relieved by Aaron Suval. The right-hander gave up a solo home run to TJ McCants to lead off the Rebel seventh.

It was 6-4 Ole Miss at that point, but Purdue wasn't done.

To start the eighth, Nichols came in to pitch for Tookoian, and the Boilermakers got a one-out home run to left center from Jo Stevens to cut the UM lead to just a run. An Ole Miss error allowed Cam Thompson to score after he had earlier reached first on a hit by pitch. Heading into the bottom of the eighth, the game was tied 6-6.

After Nichols took care of the Boilers in the top of the ninth, the Rebels left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth as the game moved to extra innings.

That's when Alderman won it with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the 10th.

Ole Miss had nine hits on the day, while Purdue had six. The Rebels' two errors were costly but did not, in the end, cost them the win.

UP NEXT

The Boilermakers (8-6) and the Rebels (13-2) play again at Swayze Field on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.