OXFORD, Miss. (Interstat) — In a wild back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections, the Mississippi Rebels rallied from an early five-run deficit and outlasted the Kentucky Wildcats 12-9 on Saturday evening at Swayze Field to clinch a Southeastern Conference series victory.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded under the lights, saw the Rebels improve to 19-6 overall, while the Wildcats fell to 19-4. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a Kentucky win, 8-7, and gave the Wildcats a 53.70 percent probability of victory, but Mississippi’s potent offense and a crucial relief appearance overturned those expectations.

Kentucky seized immediate control, battering Mississippi starter Will Libbert in a lengthy first inning. After two walks, Hudson Brown laced a two-run double to left-center field, staking the Wildcats to a 2-0 lead before many in the crowd had settled. The advantage ballooned to 9-5 in the fifth inning when Carson Hansen launched a towering grand slam to right field, part of a four-hit, five-run frame for Kentucky.

The most important part of the game, however, was the dual response from Mississippi’s bullpen and its lineup. After Hansen’s blast, Rebels coach Mike Bianco summoned reliever Walker Hooks with the bases loaded and two outs. Hooks, whose recent outings included a rough appearance at Texas on March 15, induced an inning-ending strikeout to prevent further damage. He then delivered 4.2 sterling innings of relief, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five. His performance stabilized the game completely, giving his offense a chance to mount its comeback.

That comeback was swift and powerful. Mississippi had already chipped away with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by Daniel Pacella’s opposite-field grand slam that cut the deficit to 9-5. After Hooks quieted Kentucky’s bats, the Rebels completed the rally in the seventh. Tristan Bissetta led off with a solo homer, and two batters later, Collin Reuter connected for a two-run shot to center off Kentucky reliever Cameron Mattison, tying the game at 9-9.

Kentucky briefly reclaimed the lead in the eighth on a solo home run by T. Bell, making it 10-9. But Mississippi’s relentless offense had the final answer in the bottom half. With the bases loaded and one out, Will Furniss drove a two-run single to left field, scoring two. A sacrifice fly from Reuter brought in another, capping a three-run inning for a 12-10 lead that would stand.

Hooks earned the win in relief for Mississippi. Jack Bennett was effective for Kentucky with three scoreless innings of work after starter N. Harris exited. Ira Austin and Jackson Soucie recorded key outs for Kentucky in the eighth but were charged with the decisive runs.

The teams combined for 21 hits, with Kentucky out-hitting Mississippi 12-9, but the Rebels capitalized on three Wildcats errors, scoring four unearned runs. Furniss finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs for Mississippi, while Brown and Hansen each drove in four runs for Kentucky.

The series win gives Mississippi momentum heading into a midweek game at Memphis on Tuesday. Kentucky will look to rebound when it hosts Murray State on Tuesday before a tough road series at LSU next weekend.