Two Swings Were Enough for Ole Miss to Take Down Its Rival

Some players get remembered for the big swings. Kennedy Bunker just took two of them, and Mississippi State felt both.

Ole Miss beat the No. 16‑ranked Bulldogs 3-2 on Friday night, and the story never drifted far from the Rebels’ leadoff hitter.

She started the game with a home run and ended it with another. Everything in between was just the buildup.

From the 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿…to a 𝗕𝗢𝗠𝗕 💣@Kbunks17 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/JXQSwyRJg1

— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) May 1, 2026

Her first swing came two pitches into the night, a shot off the right‑field light pole that set the tone and woke up the crowd. It didn’t decide anything, but it let everyone know who the problem was going to be.

Mississippi State eventually tied it in the fourth, and Ole Miss had its own chances to break things open. The Rebels loaded up the fifth before Nadia Barbary made a sharp play at third to turn a double play and kill the inning. It felt like one of those moments that might come back around.

And it did, just not the way Mississippi State hoped.

Ole Miss grabbed a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Laylonna Applin punched a two‑out RBI into right center. The Bulldogs answered again with a solo homer in the seventh, and suddenly it was a brand‑new game with the pressure right back on the home dugout.

That’s when Bunker stepped in one more time. One out. One two‑strike pitch. One swing that landed almost exactly where her first one did. Ballgame.

BUNKER CALLS GAME 🤯

Kennedy Bunker with the walk-off homer! @Kbunks17 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/Soy5q0UIeQ

— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) May 2, 2026

Ole Miss got solid work in the circle from Kyra Aycock, Lilly Whitten and Emilee Boyer, who combined to hold State to five hits.

But this night belonged to Bunker. Two home runs, four times on base, and the kind of walk‑off that sticks with a rivalry for a while.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD. @Kbunks17 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/qPGDpOPeOA

— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) May 2, 2026

The Rebels close the regular season this afternoon. Hard to script a better setup than coming off a night where one player carried the whole thing home.