OXFORD | Collin Reuter had only one at-bat in the past two weeks because of injury when he pinch hit for Luke Cheng in the seventh inning on Tuesday.

Ole Miss trailed by a couple runs in what had been a sleepy midweek effort offensively, but Reuter laced a full-count pitch down the left field line for a run-scoring double. It ignited the Rebels into a comeback.

His double and third extra base hit of the season was the second of six hits in the frame for the Rebels, as Ole Miss scored five runs to beat Austin Peay, 6-3, in the tune-up before a weekend at Oklahoma.

"That was the game winner from Reuter," Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. "He hadn't had many opportunities, and it was a great swing in a big spot to get us going."

The Governors led by two runs after six innings when Austin Fawley, who hit a solo home run in the second inning, singled to start the seventh. Luke Hill, Judd Utermark, Ryan Moerman and Will Furniss all singled following Reuter’s hit. Mitchell Sanford walked in the inning.

Fawley now has 13 home runs on the season, which is the most by an Ole Miss catcher in the Mike Bianco era.

The Rebels (32-13) entered the day at No. 18 in the RPI, while Austin Peay, who had won seven in a row, was RPI 102.

Ole Miss out-hit the Governors 13-3 and went 8-for-20 with runners on compared to AP’s 1-for-7 night with runners on.

The Rebel bullpen was stellar, throwing 4.2 combined scoreless innings against Austin Peay’s offense that averages 9.7 runs per game. Brayden Jones struck out four in 1.2 innings, Ryne Rodriguez and Landon Waters got one and two outs, respectively, and Hudson Calhoun struck out two in a perfect inning.

Closer Connor Spencer allowed two on in the ninth but two strikeouts helped him earn his fourth save of the season.

Starter Cade Townsend allowed three hits and three runs – two earned – in 4.1 innings. He struck out four without a walk and threw 44 strikes in 62 pitches. Austin Peay had a sacrifice fly after a passed ball on a strikeout and an error advanced the runner to third in the third inning. The Governors added a two-run home run in the fourth.

"Townsend was really good and maybe his best outing of the year," Bianco said. "We pitched it really well and had one of the bullpen games that had a lot of good efforts from different roles."

Fawley led the Rebels with three hits, while Moerman, Furniss and Sanford had two hits each.