Humphrey’s HR, 4 RBIs help Ole Miss beat Georgia Tech 11-9, avoid elimination at regional

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Isaac Humphrey had four RBIs, including a home run in the first inning. Will Furniss hit the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh and host Mississippi beat Georgia Tech 11-9 on Sunday in an elimination game at the Oxford Regional.

Ole Miss (42-20) plays Murray State — which beat the Rebels 9-6 in the opening round — later Sunday in the championship round but must beat the Racers twice (with a game Monday, if necessary) to win the double-elimination regional.

Mitchell Sanford singled, stole second base and scored on a two-out single by Furniss to give the Rebels the lead for good in the seventh and Campbell Smithwick hit a solo homer in the eighth to cap the scoring.

Kent Schmidt hit a two-run homer and Kyle Lodise added a solo home run for Georgia Tech in the first inning but Humphrey answered with a three-run shot before Luke Hill and Austin Fawley each added an RBI single to give Ole Miss a 5-3 lead going into the second.

Drew Burress and Schmidt hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the fourth and Caleb Daniel added a two-run double to give Yellow Jackets a two-run lead.

Judd Utermark hit a lead-off homer in the sixth. After Humphrey struck out, Smithwick walked, Hayden Federico was hit by a pitch and Fawley walked on four pitches to load the bases. Luke Cheng struck out looking but Sanford drew a four-pitch walk to make it 8-8.

Will McCausland (3-1) pitched two innings of scoreless relief before Connor Spencer came on with one out in the ninth and runners at first and second. Spencer got Burress to fly out, intentionally walked Schmidt and struck out Lodise swinging to earn his eighth save of the season.

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