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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Softball Continues SEC West Homestand with Arkansas
4/16/2002 | Softball
April 16, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss continues a six-game SEC West homestand with Arkansas in a mid-week softball series. Wednesday's doubleheader and Thursday's finale begin at 5 p.m. CST each day at Ole Miss Softball Complex.
The Rebels (23-19, 5-13 SEC) enter the series 1.5 games out of the eighth and final spot for the SEC Tournament and matched up with a Lady Razorback team (29-21, 8-13 SEC) that currently sits seventh. Ole Miss will be looking to snap a season-long six-game losing streak, coming off series sweeps to Division foes Alabama and Mississippi State last week.
Ole Miss suffered its first home series loss of the year last weekend to the 15th-ranked Crimson Tide, who was UM's first ranked opponent of the campaign. Notwithstanding the UA defeat, the Rebels have been strong at home, recording an 11-6 mark on the season. Ole Miss has produced SEC series wins over Kentucky and Florida in Oxford.
While the Rebel offense has struggled during the recent six-game skid, the Ole Miss pitching staff has remained solid with a 3.05 ERA over that stretch. The Rebels were on the short end of a pair of 1-0 pitchers' duels in the MSU series, with freshman Lindsey Whatley and junior Leslie Day the tough luck losers.
Despite an 0-2 mark, Whatley surrendered only two earned runs in two complete games last week, registering a 1.08 ERA. The freshman from Huntsville, Ala., boasts a 7-6 record, a 1.70 ERA and a team-high three shutouts on the year.
Arkansas has won four of its last five contests and is fresh off a 2-1 series victory against Tennessee last weekend in Fayetteville. Senior hurler Rachel Talley has battled some arm injuries that slowed her on the mound, but she more than made up for it with a .625 week at the plate including two game-winning hits.
Sophomore Heather Schlichtman threw the bulk of the innings last week, allowing just five earned runs in 22.1 innings while striking out 22 for the Lady 'Backs. The 2001 All-SEC righthander currently ranks in the top 10 in the conference in wins (13-7), ERA (1.54) and strikeouts (134), and leads a UA staff that is second best in the league with a 1.44 team ERA.
Arkansas has taken the last 11 meetings and leads the all-time series 17-2. The Rebels' only wins came in 2-2 series split in 1998 in Oxford.
