OXFORD, Miss. – Tyler Wilber narrowly missed hitting for the cycle when he went 4-for-6 with three runs scored, a double, home run and three RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (25-10) to a 13-3 thumping of SEC member Ole Miss (21-15) Tuesday.
SEMO, which handed Ole Miss its biggest non-conference loss of the season, knocked off a SEC opponent for the first time in five years. The win was also the Redhawks first over a Power Five conference foe since 2019 (3-2, at Purdue).
The Redhawks were in control from start to finish and scored three runs in each of the second and fifth innings to storm past the Rebels.
SEMO took a 3-0 advantage with an RBI-single by
Spencer Parker and scored two more runs with the help of a fielder's choice and an error in the top of the second.
After Wilber led off the third inning with a solo home run to left field, Parker singled home
Ty Stauss to put SEMO ahead, 5-0.
An inning later, Wilber scored on a double by
Andrew Keck.
Parker then touched home on a sacrifice fly by
Jevon Mason and Wilber ripped a two-RBI double to left center extending the Redhawks lead to 9-1 in the top of the fifth.
The Redhawks scored again when they loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth. Mason brought home
Peyton Leeper on a sacrifice fly to run SEMO's lead to 10-1.
SEMO continued to pour it on and loaded the bases once more in the eighth. Leeper,
Joel Vaske and
Ben Palmer all walked before Mason grounded out and Leeper scored to make it a 11-1 ballgame.
Leeper delivered an RBI-single and Keck scored on a wild pitch to complete the Redhawks victory in the top of the ninth inning.
Left-hander
Alex Esker (1-0) earned his first career win. Esker struck out one in two scoreless innings.
Drew McDaniel suffered the loss. McDaniel fell to 3-2 after giving up three runs on two hits in 1.2 innings. He also struck out two and walked two.
SEMO finished with 12 hits. Keck, Leeper and Parker followed Wilber with two hits apiece. Mason added three RBI, while Parker and
Danny Sperling had two each.
The Redhawks return home to host Morehead State in a three-game series beginning Friday.
