OXFORD — Ole Miss has used a familiar pattern to get to the championship round of the NCAA Tournament’s Oxford Regional. Good pitching, good defense and some timely hitting.

On Saturday before a big crowd of 9,185, the Rebels pitching staff put together seven scoreless innings to give them 15 for the regional to date.

The bats were there, too, as the Rebels banged out 13 hits against four Western Kentucky pitchers to claim a 7-4 win and earn a spot in Sunday’s finals against the afternoon survivor between Missouri and Western Kentucky.

The biggest Rebel hit came from Matt Snyder, who ripped a 3-run homer to boost a slim 2-0 lead to 5-0.

“They got the big hits and we didn’t,” WKU coach Chris Finwood said. “I thought our guy threw well, he just left a change up.”

“Their pitcher (Shane Cameron) didn’t make many mistakes, but the change-up stayed up and I was able to get a good swing on it,” Snyder said of his home run. It was his eighth of the season. He had been in a 2-for-23 slump, but no one on the Rebels seemed to know that.

“That’s news to me. Maybe we need you in the dugout,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said, with a laugh.

Tigers stay alive

Missouri sent Monmouth back to New Jersey after an easy 9-0 romp Saturday afternoon. The Tigers decided to go ahead and sent their ace in Major League Baseball draft hopeful Kyle Gibson to the hill.

Gibson had just 85 to 87 mph fastball, but his curve and change were enough to shut out the Hawks over eight innings.

“I didn’t know I was starting until I came in the locker room and saw my name as the pitcher a note saying ‘Be prepared to win,’” Gibson said. “I thought seven or eight innings would really help the team and give them a chance to win the regional.”

Missouri coach Tim Jamieson said Gibson’s outing saved the rest of his staff.

“It really saved our bullpen and now, after two games, we have everybody but Kyle ready for Sunday. We had to have that because we have to win twice to get it to Monday.”

Decent pitching, no runs for the Hawks

Monmouth scored just one run over its two-game stay at the Oxford Regional. They were beaten 8-1 by Ole Miss on Friday and on Saturday afternoon, Missouri sent the Hawks home with a season-ending 9-0 loss.

Monmouth coach Dean Ehehalt credited the pitching.

“We just ran into another great pitcher in Gibson. Both of the ball clubs we faced had two really good pitchers. We were just unable to get a break through hit,” Ehehalt said.

The Hawks had only five hits against Ole Miss and just six against Gibson and the Tigers.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com