The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Bethune Cookman
Senior Pitchers Lead Ole Miss to Softball Split
2/7/2003 | Softball
Feb. 7, 2003
Kansas Box Score (PDF) | Bethune-Cookman Box Score (PDF)
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Ole Miss received career performances by senior pitchers Leslie Day and Lindsay Price Friday, as the Rebels split a pair of softball games in day one of the Triple Crown Classic. Ole Miss manhandled Bethune-Cookman, 5-0, and fell short to Kansas, 2-1 in 10 innings, to move to 3-1 on the young season.
Day (2-0) recorded the first one-hit shutout of her UM career in the late game against BCC. The Nesbit, Miss., native struck out six over the full seven innings in her fourth shutout as a Rebel.
Offensively, the Rebels plated one run each in the second through sixth innings. Andrea Brahs doubled and scored one of her two runs in the second inning on an RBI-single by freshman Rebecca McIntire.
Brooke Turner notched a pair of hits, including a third-inning single and run off a DeDe Justice RBI-baseknock. Justice, a sophomore from Vero Beach, Fla., batted 3-for-4 with two runs against the Wildcats (2-6). Julie Baumann also drove in a score as part of the Rebels' 10-hit barrage.
Earlier in the day, Price turned in one of the finest outings of her four-year Rebel career. The righthander from Terry, Miss., took a no-hitter in the fifth inning and kept the Jayhawks off the scoreboard for nine innings.
However, KU hurler Kara Pierce was equally impressive as neither team could muster any offense. Kansas (1-0) eventually broke a scoreless game in the third extra frame, as Destiny Frankenstein and Melaney Torres notched back-to-back RBI hits.
Ole Miss answered in the bottom of the frame, as senior Phyllis Manley doubled home Jordan Chitwood to narrow the Kansas lead to 2-1. The Rebels continued to threaten, moving runners to second and third with one out, but Ole Miss could not drive either home in suffering its first loss of the 2003 campaign.
Pierce registered the complete-game victory, while Price (1-1) allowed only five hits and one earned run in the 10-inning performance. She also tied the Ole Miss single-game record for strikeouts with 14.
"Lindsay and Leslie both tossed excellent games," said UM head coach Candi Letts. "They were in total control on the field. They set the tone for us defensively and gave us opportunities to win. They pitched like they want to have great years."
The Rebels take a 1-1 tourney mark into Saturday's 11 a.m. ET meeting with event host UCF. Ole Miss will then enter bracket play for the rest of the games Saturday and Sunday at Treaty Park.
Ole Miss 5, Bethune-Cookman 0 (Feb 7, 2003 at St. Augustine, Fla.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Bethune-Cookman.... 000 000 0 - 0 1 2 (2-6)Ole Miss........... 011 111 X - 5 10 1 (3-1)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Bethune-Cookman - McCoy, L; Abeling, S(5). Ole Miss - Day.Win-Day(2-0) Loss-McCoy, L(1-3) T-1:06 A-43
Kansas 2, Ole Miss 1 (Feb 7, 2003 at St. Augustine, Fla.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Kansas............ 000 000 000 2 - 2 5 0 (1-0)Ole Miss.......... 000 000 000 1 - 1 2 1 (2-1)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Kansas - MILHOAN; PIERCE(1). Ole Miss - Price.Win-PIERCE(1-0) Loss-Price(1-1) T-2:55 A-61
