Rebels Set Win Milestone In Doubleheader Split At South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. Ole Miss won its program-record 11^th Southeastern Conference game of the year with a 1-0 victory over South Carolina in the first game of a doubleheader, but fell by a 1-0 score in the ninth inning of game two at Beckham Field.

A pair of pitcher’s duels contributed to the split, as Ole Miss moved to 24-32 overall and 11-16 in SEC play, while South Carolina moved to 33-22 and 11-16 in league play.

Ole Miss surpassed its previous best of 10 league wins in both 2005 and 2006, when the Rebels went 10-20. This is the first year the SEC schedule includes just 28 scheduled games, as there were 30 league contests every year from 1997-2006.

“Both teams played really hard,” said Rebel head coach Missy Dickerson. “It came down to who got the key hit and who made the mistake. They were great pitcher’s duels. You couldn’t ask for two better games, really.”

Junior left-hander Tara Willitt tossed a four-hit shutout and junior first baseman Lauren Rowe registered a fourth-inning RBI single to give Ole Miss the record-setting win in game one.

Willitt (11-7) registered her third shutout of the year and the Rebels’ second in SEC play. Becky Nye hurled a shutout against Arkansas on April 14. The junior team captain also struck out four batters in the game.

Freshman shortstop Ashley Dowdy led Ole Miss at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, both doubles. Four other Rebels registered a hit, including Rowe’s single to bring in Dowdy for the game-winner in the fourth.

Ole Miss threatened with two runners in the top of the first inning. After Courtnie Ghinaudo reached on a bunt single and Lisa Conchos on a walk, Lauren Grill came up with one out and drilled a shot to the warning track in left-center. The Gamecock left fielder, Adele Voigt, made a running catch and picked Ghinaudo off at second to end the frame.

The Rebels finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fourth. Dowdy led off the frame with her second double to give Ole Miss a runner in scoring position for the fourth straight inning, and she moved to third on an Amber Tramp sacrifice. With two outs, Rowe brought her in with a single to left after she stayed alive in a lengthy at-bat with several foul balls.

Gamecock starter Melissa Hendon (16-15) went the full seven innings and gave up one run on six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. Lisa Longo led South Carolina at the plate with two hits in three at-bats.

Game 2

Gamecock senior catcher McKenna Hughes hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give South Carolina a 1-0 game-two win in a pitcher’s duel between Becky Nye and Kate Pouliot.

Both Nye and Pouliot held the opposing teams to one hit each through seven regular innings and an additional eighth.

Nye (5-17) finished with eight innings pitched, allowing two hits and one run, with one walk and six strikeouts.

Pouliot (15-6) tossed nine frames, giving up just one hit and one walk, with six strikeouts.

Sophomore second baseman Lisa Conchos registered the lone Rebel hit, a single in the fourth.

The Rebels threatened in the top of the fourth. After Courtnie Ghinaudo walked and Conchos singled, both moved up on a double steal to give the Rebels two in scoring position with one out for Lauren Grill. The third baseman grounded out to second, and Ghinaudo was called out when she tried to score under the catcher’s tag at home.

The contest was the third extra-inning affair of the season for Ole Miss. The Rebels dropped to 1-2 in those games, including a 2-0 loss to No. 9 LSU and a 2-1 win over No. 19 Florida.

The Rebels finish the regular season with a 1 p.m. ET contest against South Carolina on Sunday. The game will determine who earns the seventh and eighth seeds in the SEC Tournament.

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Team Stats

Ashley Dowdy

Courtnie Ghinaudo

Conchos L

Lauren Grill

The University of Mississippi Athletics