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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Evansville
Rebels Robbed by Evansville in Extra Innings
3/2/2003 | Softball
March 2, 2003
Box Score
OXFORD, Miss. - DeDe Justice was robbed of a potential game-winning, walk-off home run, as the Ole Miss softball team dropped a 2-1, extra-inning heartbreaker to Evansville Sunday in the finale of the Ole Miss Snowfall Classic.
With the Rebels trailing by one in the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on, Justice blasted a Katie Markle pitch to deep leftfield, where Aces' outfielder Emily Winters reached high over the fence to make the catch and preserve the UE victory.
The two teams had just battled through four scoreless innings after swapping runs in the third. Evansville (6-2) picked up three hits in the third and struck first blood when Jamie Davison singled home pinch runner Jennifer Mann.
Ole Miss (5-7) immediately answered in the bottom of the frame to knot the game at 1-1. Brooke Turner singled and later scored on a mishandled Jenny Cox bunt.
However, a defensive miscue on a bunt would also bite the Rebels in the eighth inning, as Alicia Laraway would plate the go-ahead score after a misfielded Kellie Pebler bunt. Winters' dramatics in the bottom of the frame made the run stand as the game-winner.
Pitching dominated the matchup as each team mustered only five hits apiece, and the clubs combined for only three hits after the third inning. Rebel righthander Leslie Day hurled six strong innings, and fellow senior Lindsay Price (2-4) tossed two innings of relief in the loss. Markle went the distance in the victory for the Purple Aces.
Ole Miss freshman Mandy Ott batted 2-for-3 on the day.
Drake, Northern Illinois and Evansville all turned in 3-1 tournament records to finish 1-2-3 in the Snowfall Classic, according to run differential. With weekend wins over Central Connecticut and NIU, the Rebels placed fourth in the event with a 2-2 mark, followed by UT-Martin at 1-3 and CCSU at 0-4.
Next up for Ole Miss is a 12-day road trip with stops in Plant City, Fla., Fayetteville, Ark., and Lexington, Ky. The Rebels will be competing in South Florida's Speedline Invitational this week with games against Pittsburgh, Purdue, Temple, Central Michigan and Pacific.
The Southeastern Conference season opens next week, and Ole Miss will be traveling to Arkansas, Mar. 12-13, and Kentucky, Mar. 15-16.
Evansville 2, Ole Miss 1 (Mar 2, 2003 at Oxford, Miss.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Evansville................. 001 000 01 - 2 5 2 (6-2)Ole Miss.................. 001 000 00 - 1 5 3 (5-7)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Evansville - Markle. Ole Miss - Day; Price(7).Win-Markle Loss-Price(2-4) T-2:30 A-88
