Rebel Softball Drops Another Close One, 2-1 To Houston

HOUSTON, Texas Senior left-hander Mary Jane Callahan pitched a complete game with no earned runs and five strikeouts, but the Ole Miss softball team (1-3) dropped another tight contest with a 2-1 defeat to the University of Houston (2-2) in the Saturday nightcap at the Wilson DeMarini Invitational.

Ole Miss out-hit Houston 5-4 in the contest, but Houston capitalized on a couple of costly Rebel mistakes in the fourth inning to give the Cougars the narrow victory.

“When you start a lot of freshmen, you expect there to be some mistakes,” said head coach Missy Dickerson, who has inserted at least six rookies into the starting lineup for each game this season. “When they play loose and relaxed we will win these types of close games, but right now a lot of them are playing uptight.”

The Rebels banged up Cougar starter Barbie Love for four hits and a run in the first two and two-thirds innings, but Angel Shamblin (2-0) came on in relief and shut down the Rebels the rest of the way on just one hit.

For the fourth straight game Ole Miss scored first, this time on a third inning RBI single to left by freshman third baseman Lauren Grill that scored sophomore second baseman Lisa Conchos, who had doubled earlier in the frame.

Callahan (0-2) avoided danger in the bottom of the third after Houston leadoff hitter Jessica Valis tripled with one out. Callahan snagged a line drive for the second out before striking out Elaina Nordstrom to end the Cougar threat.

Ole Miss found itself in trouble again in the fourth after two Cougars reached base with no outs. A sacrifice bunt attempt by Houston’s Laura Durham was helped out by a Rebel miscue when Callahan’s throw bounced off the glove of Conchos covering at first, allowing the first Houston run to score. Houston scored another unearned run after Durham stole second and freshman catcher Amber Tramp’s throw hit the runner to allow Laurie Wagner to score from third and give Houston a 2-1 advantage.

The seventh inning was unkind to the Rebels. Not only did the squad lose to Houston, but freshman first baseman Aly Presswood went down to the ground with a knee injury after hitting the base awkwardly on a groundout. Her status is day-to-day.

The Rebels close out their stint in Houston on Sunday with a 10 a.m. contest against Texas-Arlington.

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Team Stats

Emily Sarver

Conchos L

Lauren Grill

Mary Jane Callahan

The University of Mississippi Athletics