Rebel Softball Edged By Wildcats 4-3 In Series Clincher

LEXINGTON, Ky. Brooke Marnitz, the Southeastern Conference’s home run leader, hit a three-run fifth-inning blast to help Kentucky to a 4-3 win and a series victory over Ole Miss in Sunday’s rubber match at the UK Softball Complex.

Ole Miss (14-20, 5-6 SEC) out-hit the Wildcats 9-6, but could not come through in clutch situations late in the game against one of the SEC’s top offensive units.

“When you don’t execute it’s hard to win,” said Ole Miss head coach Missy Dickerson. “We had plenty of opportunities today, but we didn’t execute when we needed it the most.”

With the loss, the Rebels dropped their first series against Kentucky since 2001 and just the second in program history.

Freshman left fielder Alise Doubt tallied her first three-hit game of the season to lead the Rebel attack. She went 3-for-3, while junior first baseman Lauren Rowe went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.

Freshman third baseman Lauren Grill smacked her 11th home run of the season in the contest to tie the Ole Miss freshman record set by DeDe Justice in 2002. She needs just four more to tie Justice’s overall season record of 15 she set in 2003.

Tara Willitt (4-4) took the loss for the Rebels, despite a solid performance. The junior southpaw gave up four runs two earned on six hits, with a pair of strikeouts in the complete-game effort.

Wildcat starter Megan Jolly earned the win, going five innings and allowing three runs on six Ole Miss hits, with one strikeout.

Ole Miss struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Rowe lined a base hit between the shortstop and second baseman to score Lisa Conchos and Ashley Dowdy.

Grill gave the Rebels a 3-0 lead with her record-breaking blast in the third, a towering solo shot that stayed just fair inside the left-field foul pole.

Kentucky (17-11, 4-7 SEC) scratched the scoreboard with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame. The Wildcats got runners on first and second with two outs. Both advanced on a passed ball, and Brooke Marnitz brought in Alli Eckman from third with a single that ricocheted off the leg of Willitt and stalled in between Conchos and Rowe on the right side of the infield.

The Wildcats took the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a three-run home run by Marnitz, her SEC-leading 13th long ball of the year.

Ole Miss will look to bounce back on Wednesday with a non-conference contest against Mississippi State in the M&F Fastpitch Classic, to be held in Madison, Miss. The Rebels and Bulldogs will take the field at 6:30 p.m. following a pair of Mississippi high school games.

RebelsCalendar

Next Event

Team Stats

Alise Doubt

Lauren Rowe

Lauren Grill

Conchos L

The University of Mississippi Athletics