Ole Miss got a significant win on Wednesday in its run to jump back into the postseason conversation.

After sweeping hapless Missouri over the weekend in a three-game set, the Rebels handled Southern Miss, 4-1, in Hattiesburg to win their fourth straight game and jump their RPI from 57 to 49 with the victory. Ole Miss (28-19, 10-14) faces RPI No. 16 LSU in Baton Rouge starting Friday for three games.

Ole Miss got back-to-back home runs from Kevin Graham and Kemp Alderman in the fourth and an excellent night of pitching to pick up the win over the Golden Eagles (36-13). USM’s RPI is at 26 (down 11 spots in three days) after its third loss in the last four games.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss needs to just keep winning with two weekends to go. The Rebels need an RPI in the 30s most likely, and each SEC win brings a potential at-large berth closer.

“It was good because we need the wins,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “It’s not about the confidence. I think we’re confident, but we need the wins to keep playing. Right now it’s about the wins to keep playing.”

Drew McDaniel allowed one run in five innings, scattering four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. It’s his second straight outing of five innings and one earned run, as he did the same to Mississippi State in Pearl last week. The right-hander has allowed one or no runs in 14 of his 17 appearances this season.

He’s thrown 91 and 90 pitches the past two midweeks, respectively. His only blemish against USM was a second inning solo home run.

“(McDaniel) has always had good stuff,” Bianco said. “He’s confident and throwing well and it was a good mix. He’s really good when he does that.”

Jackson Kimbrell threw 1.2 scoreless innings, and Josh Mallitz followed with four outs including three strikeouts. Kimbrell was especially good against lefties, and Mallitz had his most dominant outing of the season with 18 strikes in 22 pitches.

Brandon Johnson had a little trouble in the ninth, as the tying run came to the plate after a single and walk, but he worked out of it for his seventh save of the season.

Ole Miss struck out 15 Golden Eagles, two more than USM’s season high coming into the night.

Jacob Gonzalez singled with one out in the fourth, and Graham hit the first pitch he saw for a home run two batters later. Alderman’s 2-2 count home run right after him gave the Rebels a two-run lead at the time. It was Graham’s ninth home run of the season, and Alderman has seven on the yer.

Tim Elko had a two-out RBI single for insurance in the fifth inning.