Dave Anderson promised to bring excitement back to the Tiger baseball program.
So far, the first-year head coach is living up to that promise.
The Tigers held 19th-ranked Ole Miss to just one run on seven hits, as they defeated the Rebels 3-1 Wednesday night in front of a respectable crowd at AutoZone Park.
The Rebels struck first in the second inning, but Memphis tied the game in the bottom half of the third.
Freshman rightfielder Josh Payne scored the Tigers' first run on Kyle Scott's single into left field.
Scott was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double.
The Tigers would strike again in the fourth inning on junior Daniel Uggla's solo homerun.
Uggla slammed a 90 mile-per-hour fastball over the Tigers' bullpen in left field for his team-leading ninth homerun of the season. The homer was measured at 388 feet.
Memphis added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth after centerfielder Paul Reuer stole third and the errant throw from Ole Miss catcher Carl Lafferty sailed into left field, allowing Reuer to trot home.
The road to victory for the Tigers came through pitching and big defensive plays.
Starting pitcher Ryan O'Malley got the win, giving up just one run and five hits in five and two-thirds innings.
Sophomore pitcher Josh Cartwright was brought in to get the final out of the sixth inning as Ole Miss stranded two runners in scoring position.
The Tigers stepped up defensively in the seventh inning as leftfielder Keno Anderson made a diving catch, robbing the Rebels' Kris Cox of a leadoff single.
Reuer stole a hit away from the Rebels as his sliding catch in shallow center sent Rebel infielder Banks Robinson back into the first base dugout.
Tiger pitcher Bill Edwards struck out Clint Farrar to retire the side.
"You just have to step up when you are called upon," Anderson said.
The Rebels threatened to score again in the eighth as they took advantage of a Tiger infield error to put runners on first and third with only one out. Edwards struck out Rebel Lance Jones for the second out.
The play of the game came next as Edwards tried to pick off Rebel runner Burney Hutchison on first base. Hutchison got caught in a pickle between first and second base, while third base runner Chad Sterbens headed for the plate. Sterbens was thrown out at the plate, preserving the Tiger lead.
Josh Christian led off the Rebel ninth with a drive to the wall, but Anderson was there to make a leaping catch against the wall at the 360-feet marker.
Edwards got the save for the Tigers, striking out four in three scoreless innings.
The win improves the Tigers' overall record to 12-6.
"I think this is a great win and we can go far this year," Anderson said. "Anytime you beat a Rebel, that's a good feeling."
The Tigers next home series is Friday at 7 p.m. against Houston at Millington USA Stadium.
