Six Homers and a Four-Run Hole Erased: Troy’s Omaha Breakthrough in One Wild Afternoon

The College World Series has seen its share of drama, but Sunday at Charles Schwab Field delivered something the tournament hasn’t witnessed in nearly a quarter-century. Troy, a program that had never won a game in Omaha, did more than just check that box. It erased a four-run deficit, mashed three home runs, and sent Ole Miss packing with a 12-8 elimination victory.

The game produced six home runs total — the second-highest single-game total in the stadium’s CWS history — and marked the first time since 2001 that both teams hit three homers in a College World Series contest. For the Trojans, the win extended a season already defined by resilience: it was their 18th comeback win of the year.

Ole Miss came out swinging. Judd Utermark and Hayden Federico drove in runs in the first, Brayden Randle launched a two-run homer in the second, and Collin Reuter added another two-run shot in the fourth. That gave the Rebels a 6-2 lead and seemed to put Troy on the brink.

But the Trojans chipped away. In the fifth, a bases-loaded balk by Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliott brought home a run, and Sean Darnell followed with a two-run single to cut the lead to one. Darnell finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs on the day.

The game flipped in the seventh. Jimmy Janicki crushed his team-leading 21st home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6. Later in the inning, Jabe Boroff laced a two-run double during a four-run outburst, and Houston Markham added an RBI single. Suddenly, Troy led 9-6.

Three more insurance runs crossed in the eighth after a pop-up was dropped by Ole Miss shortstop Owen Paino. By then, Troy had out-hit the Rebels 14-12 and had all the momentum.

Noah Thigpen earned the win with five innings of relief work, keeping Ole Miss hitters off balance after the early barrage. JP Robertson took the loss for the Rebels, who became the first team eliminated from this year’s College World Series after going 0-2.

For Ole Miss, the exit closes a season that started with Omaha aspirations but ended with two losses in three days. The Rebels dropped their opener 6-2 to North Carolina before Sunday’s defeat.

Troy (39-31) now advances to face West Virginia on Tuesday. The Trojans are one of only three teams in the last 15 years to rally from a four-run or larger deficit in a CWS elimination game and win. For a program still searching for its first national identity in Omaha, Sunday was a landmark — and proof that this roster refuses to stop clawing.