OXFORD | Ole Miss threw strike after strike, challenging Wright State hitters to harm balls in the zone.
It never happened, and talent won out.
The Rebels completed the sweep of Wright State with a 7-3 victory that was Ole Miss' ninth straight win overall. UM (10-1) now has a five-game week with midweek matchups versus Southeastern Louisiana and Murray State and a three-game home set with Jacksonville.
Ole Miss had a 71 percent strike percentage for the game, more than 10 percent higher than its typical team average. The Rebels, as a staff, walked two but struck out 17 and had only one other three-ball count.
"It's a really good day," Mike Bianco said. "Beyond (the one inning), we were super dominant on the mound."
Mason Nichols allowed three runs on four hits in four innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts and one walk. He threw 42 of 60 pitches for strikes and gave up all three runs in the third inning -- on a double, walk and three-run home run.
Nichols' previous strikeout high was five.
Ole Miss started the bottom of the first with four straight hits, leading to three runs. Mitch Sanford had a two-run single in the frame.
The Rebels took back the lead in the bottom of the third and then Ole Miss put it away in the fifth inning. Judd Utermark hit his fifth home run of the season, followed by an Isaac Humphrey double and an Austin Fawley home run -- his second of the season.
The first eight spots in the Ole Miss order each had one hit, but no Rebel had multiple hits. Nine-hole shortstop Luke Cheng went 0-for-1 with two walks and a hit by pitch.
Ole Miss was 4-for-18 with runners on and 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Mason Morris pitched three scoreless innings with only one walk allowed and four strikeouts.
"We wanted to stretch (Morris) a little bit, and maybe the most dominant three innings we've had all year," Bianco said.
Brayden Jones and Connor Spencer each threw a scoreless inning, striking out three of the combined six they faced.
Morris threw 22 of 33 for strikes. Jones threw six of seven, and Spencer threw nine of 11 pitches for strikes.
"We've shown some real depth with different options," Bianco said. "That's an exciting thing."