The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Claim Crown at Ole Miss Softball Fall Classic
10/7/2003 | Softball
Oct. 7, 2003
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - The 2003 Ole Miss Softball Classic was dominated by the host Rebels who took first place in the tournament last weekend with a 6-0 record. The event, which included six regional college teams from all levels, was presented by Southeastern Sports Management and held at Greenbrook Park in Southaven, Miss.
Ole Miss won the six games by an average margin of six runs with mercy rule victories over Northwest Mississippi Community College and Delta State. The Rebels' other wins came against Northeast CC, Christian Brothers, Mississippi Valley State and a second triumph over DSU.
The trio of Andrea Brahs, Desiree Layman and DeDe Justice captained the offensive charge for Ole Miss. Brahs, a senior first baseman, was the weekend's top hitter with a .583 average (7-for-12), three home runs and seven RBI.
Fellow senior Desiree Layman led the squad in RBI with nine while hitting .533 (8-for-15) with five doubles. Junior catcher Justice, who earned All-SEC and All-Region honors a year ago, posted a .375 average (6-for-16), two doubles, three long balls and eight RBI.
"Overall, we did a nice job," said Ole Miss head coach Candi Letts. "It was important to have everyone play. We weren't perfect, but we were able to accomplish a lot in the areas we needed to work on. We certainly hit the ball well. It was a very productive weekend."
The Rebels also received strong performances by veteran outfielders Brooke Turner, Britte Hardy, and Jenny Cox. Turner, who was returning to her hometown of Southaven, compiled a .500 mark at the plate with a team-high seven runs scored. Hardy batted .545, and Cox hit .400.
Among the newcomers, junior Ashley Broom, a transfer from John A. Logan College in Illinois, drove in four runs with a triple and a homer, while freshman Brittany Warner collected six hits.
The tournament, however, was not without its low points for Ole Miss. Sunday's matchup with Mississippi Valley State saw Jill Bandhauer, a sophomore transfer from Jacksonville, go down with a knee injury.
As far as the rest of the field, Delta State finished second in the Fall Classic with a 3-2 record. The Lady Statemen were followed by Christian Brothers and Mississippi Valley State at 2-3 on the weekend. Northeast took one of its five matches, while Northwest dropped both its contests.
Southeastern Sports Management, which organized the Classic for the first time, hosts numerous youth athletic events in a variety of sports, including baseball, softball and soccer. SSM also features state-of-the-art playing facilities such as Greenbrook Park, which is the site of the 2003 Tennessee State High School Championships and the Dizzy Dean Fastpitch World Series.
"I think the tournament was a big success," Letts said, "A lot of local kids competed, and we had some nice crowds. It was a good tournament with teams from all levels of college softball."
The Rebels kicks off the upcoming 2004 season at the Arizona Pepsi Classic, Feb. 6-8 in Tuscon, Ariz. Ole Miss follows up that trip with its home-opening tournament, the Rebel/Easton Invitational, Feb. 13-15 at Ole Miss Softball Complex. Ole Miss returns all but one position starter and has 12 of 18 letterwinners back from last year's squad.
