Ole Miss faced off against Alcorn State in a game that turned wild thanks to one smart baserunner. It started with a simple walk. Payton got on base after a full count, and things snowballed from there. On a steal attempt, he slid safely into second, noticed nobody covering third, and moved up again. Then he stood up, realized the catcher had left home plate unguarded, and sprinted all the way in to score. The defense was nowhere to be found. Alcorn State’s third baseman had drifted too far from his spot, and the rest of the team failed to rotate properly. The catcher got back in decent time but had no one backing him up at the plate. As Payton kept advancing, he stayed calm, took his chances, and left the defense scrambling.
Even the umpires weren’t sure what had happened. They huddled up and reviewed the final play at the plate but ultimately confirmed he was safe. Fans and teammates couldn’t believe it, and the player himself was all smiles the whole way. A walk turned into three stolen bases and a run in one of the messiest defensive breakdowns you’ll see. Ole Miss made the most of it. Alcorn State looked completely unprepared.