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Mississippi State
Softball Rebels Win 6-5 Over No. 25 Bulldogs
4/11/2006 | Softball
April 11, 2006
Box Score
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss tied a season high with 11 hits on its way to a 6-5 win over No. 25 Mississippi State on Tuesday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex, as the Rebels win the season series with the Bulldogs after a 2-1 victory in Ridgeland last week.
Junior left-hander Mary Jane Callahan (7-14) went the distance in the circle and gave up five runs on eight hits, with no walks and one strikeout. She was also one of four Rebels to record two hits at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBI, two runs scored and two walks, while hitting her first home run of the season.
Sophomore outfielder Kayla Mosley, freshman shortstop Lisa Conchos and freshman catcher Michelle May each added a pair of hits. May tied her career high with two runs batted in.
"We hit the ball well tonight and made plays when we needed to," said first-year Ole Miss head coach Missy Dickerson. "We got the sacrifice bunt down when we needed it and got some timely hits. And it's always nice to get a win over your in-state rival."
After Callahan shut down the Bulldogs in order in the top of the first, she helped her own cause in the bottom of the first by driving in Mosley from second with a single up the middle to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead. Ole Miss proceeded to load the bases with two more hits. Sophomore first baseman Erin Faircloth then hit a deep fly ball to left-center field that was caught just shy of the warning track for the third out.
Mississippi State got on the board with two runs in the top of the third. Courtney Bures hit a fielder's choice to third base, but Rachel Hurley scored under May's tag to tie the game at 1-1. State took the lead when Katie Cooley hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Nakita Boyce.
The Rebels answered right back in the bottom of the frame when Callahan smashed her first home run of the season, a solo shot over the right-field fence, to make it 2-2.
The Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth when Hayle Guess hit an infield single deep in the hole between shortstop and third, and Boyce scored from second on the throw to first base.
Ole Miss would not trail for long, adding a three-spot in the bottom of the fifth. Mosley led off with a single up the middle and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior third baseman Rebecca McIntire. Callahan walked to give the Rebels two runners, before Conchos hit a double to left-center, scoring Mosley. Two batters later, the Rebels took a 5-3 advantage on May's two-run double to left-center.
Each team added a run in the sixth inning, as Ole Miss maintained its two-run advantage.
With two outs and Mississippi State down to its final strike, Guess hit a home run to keep the Bulldogs alive for at least one more hitter. But Callahan induced a fly out to right field by the Bulldog's top hitter, Bures, to secure the 6-5 victory.
With the victory, Callahan notched her 30th career win and also recorded her 53rd career complete game to move into a tie for first place on the all-time Rebel chart with Lindsay Price (2000-03) and Amanda Fine (1997-99).
The victory also marked the Rebels' fifth win this season over teams from Mississippi, with no losses. Ole Miss, who moved to 15-28 and 3-14 in SEC play, also secured its first conference series win of the year.
Ragan Blake (16-8) suffered the loss, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing all 11 Rebel hits and six runs, while striking out three.
Mississippi State dropped to 30-16 on the year and 4-10 in league play, while also losing its eighth straight decision.
Ole Miss begins an eight-game road swing this weekend with a three-game tilt in Knoxville, Tenn., against the top-10 nationally-ranked Lady Vols.
