The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
4-4
St. Bonaventure
0-1
Rebels Split Day One Of Battle At The Beach
2/13/2015 | Softball
CONWAY, S.C. - The Rebels opened play in the Battle at the Beach on Friday, posting a split in the first two games of the weekend as Ole Miss (4-4) fell to Iowa State in the first game of the day before defeating St. Bonaventure in game two of the day.
The Rebels fell to the Cyclone of Iowa State (5-0) by a score of 4-2 before taking down the Bonnies of St. Bonaventure (0-1) by a score of 9-2 in the final game of the day.
"We had our opportunities to win in game one, but when you leave 13 runners on base we squandered quite a few opportunities," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "It was cold for both teams, but it's hard to know as a coach what's going through the heads of your players sometimes. We had things in control for most of the game, but we didn't take care of our opportunities to put the game away.
"We shook up the lineup a bit in game two and got some players some opportunities and got some big plays from players like Bri Payne's hit that got things started," Smith said. "We have been getting people on base, but we aren't executing by finishing things and scoring the runs. Good team will do that. When you're inconsistent with scoring runs, you're inconsistent with getting wins and that's why we're .500 at this point. The beauty of this game is we get to play again tomorrow and we'll be ready to go."
Ole Miss returns to the field for two games on Saturday, starting with a 9 a.m. CT first pitch against Iowa State before facing host Coastal Carolina at 2 p.m. CT.
OLE MISS 9, ST. BONAVENTURE 2
Emily Gaitan (2-0) picked up the win for the Rebels in game two of the afternoon, striking out a career-high 12 batters as she allowed two runs - one earned - on six hits with three walks through 7.0 innings of work.
Josie Borysevic (0-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs - six earned - on nine hits in 2.2 innings of work for the Bonnies.
Ole Miss got on the board in the first with a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle from Bri Payne. Allison Brown and Miranda Strother both reached on back-to-back singles before a groundout to first from Osias put them both into scoring position for the Payne hit.
The Bonnies loaded the bases in the second, threatening to cut into the Rebel lead or take the lead themselves, but Gaitan and the defense responded to keep St. Bonaventure off the board and hold to the two-run lead.
Ole Miss extended its lead in the third. Elantra Cox beat out an infield single and then stole second to set up a score on an RBI single to center from Brown. Strother then singled to short to put two on before Osias belted out a three-run shot to left center to take the Rebel lead out to 6-0 on the Bonnies.
Three more batters reached base as Bri Payne took advantage of a fielding error, Alex Schneider legged out an infield single and Courtney Syrett also reached on an error to load the bases for the Rebels. Aimilia McDonough then got an RBI with a groundout to shot before a Grayce Majam sacrifice fly took the lead to 8-0 and sent St. Bonaventure to the bullpen.
The Bonnie's reliever was able to get a fly out to end the inning as the game moved into the fourth inning.
St. Bonaventure got on the board in the fourth, taking advantage of a lead-off walk and a fielder's choice with a throwing error to put two runners in scoring position with one out. The first run of the frame came across the plate a batter later when Grace Rooney singled up the middle to break up the shutout.
Rooney then stole second before Kiera Lorenzo singled down the first base line to push a second run home. Lorenzo took second on the throw back into the infield to leave two in scoring position before the Rebels would get out of the inning.
Ole Miss would hold the Bonnies in check the rest of the way to pick up the win in day one of the Battle at the Beach.
IOWA STATE 4, OLE MISS 2
Osias (2-4) took the loss against the Cyclones, allowing four runs - three earned - on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work against Iowa State.
Katie Johnson (5-0) picked up the win in relief for Iowa State, allowing one hit with three walks and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. She came on to relieve starter Brianna Weilbacher in the fifth inning.
Allison Brown got the scoring off to a quick start, powering a solo shot down the left field line for her first home run of the season that pushed the Rebels out to a 1-0 lead on the Cyclones in the first inning.
Iowa State answered in the home half of the inning with a lead-off home run from Brittany Gomez to tie the game at a run each.
The Cyclones took the lead in the second inning, using a single and a throwing error to put two players in scoring position with one out on the board. A single to right from Nychole Antillon drove in the go-ahead run as Iowa State took the 2-1 lead on the Rebels. Ole Miss retired the next two batters to get out of the inning without any more damage as the lead held at one run.
Ole Miss evened things in the top of the third on a two-out RBI double down the third base line from Alex Schneider. Miranda Strother started things off with a single to center before stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch to set up the score on the Schneider hit.
The Rebels got a chance to break things open in the fifth, loading the bases with one out, but the Cyclones made the plays when needed and escaped the jam with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the score locked at 2-2.
Iowa State moved back in front in the home half of the fifth, getting a two-out single to shallow center from Rachel Hartman to grab a 3-2 lead on the Rebels. Gomez reached on a single up the middle to start the inning before stealing second and taking third on a sac bunt. Ole Miss got a strikeout of the next batter, but Hartman won the battle at the plate in the next at bat to get the Cyclones the lead.
The Cyclones kept the pressure up in the sixth inning, loading the bases with a walk and back-to-back singles to start the inning. The Rebels turned to the bullpen for Emily Gaitan in response to try to hold things in check in a one-run game.
Gaitan recorded a strikeout of the first batter faced, but a slow-rolling grounder on the infield with one out resulted in a run as the throw home couldn't beat the runner and Iowa State took the lead out to 4-2 and the final margin of victory.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Emily Gaitan (2-0)
L: BORYSEVICZ, (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: ROONEY, G 1 ; LORENZO, K 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MAJOT, H 1 ; BELFIELD, E 1
SB: ROONEY, G 1
Batting:
HR: Osias, Madi 1
RBI: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Brown, Allison 1 ; Osias, Madi 3 ; Payne, Bri 2 ; McDonough, Aimilia 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
SF: Majam, Grayce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Brown, Allison 2 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Osias, Madi 1 ; Payne, Bri 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Raspo, Emily 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 2 ; Morgan, Jamie 1 ; Brown, Allison 1
