The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
5-4
Iowa State
5-2
Rebels Down Iowa State 13-5
2/14/2015 | Softball
CONWAY, S.C. - Bri Payne turned in a career afternoon for the Rebels, coming to the plate with the bases loaded three times and delivering a career-high six RBI as Ole Miss (5-4) defeated Iowa State (5-2) in six innings by a score of 13-5 at the Battle of the Beach hosted by Coastal Carolina.
Lauren Lindsey (1-0) picked up the win as she allowed one unearned run on four hits with two walks and a strikeout through 4.0 innings of work. She was one of three pitchers to see time for the Rebels on the afternoon.
Katie Johnson (5-1) suffered the loss for the Cyclones, allowing six runs on three hits with four walks through 2.1 innings of work in the start.
"We swung the bat well and got a career day from Bri (Payne)," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "That's two games in a row where she has really swung the bat well for us. It was a well-pitched ball game by our starter Lauren Lindsey and we look forward to seeing her in the circle moving forward in the season."
Ole Miss got on the board in the first inning when Payne crushed a grand slam over the wall in right field to push the Rebels out to a 4-0 lead on the Cyclones. Payne came up with the two-out shot after the Rebels loaded the bases with a hit batter and a pair of walks through the first five batters.
Payne came back to the plate with the bases loaded in the third inning and again delivered, this time coming up with a two-RBI single to right to push the lead out to six runs. Payne went to second on the play as the Cyclones threw home to try to get the second run at the plate. Courtney Syrett then lay down a bunt, allowing Alex Schneider to score from third on the play and the Rebels held a 7-0 lead after three complete.
Iowa State got two runners on with an error and a single to start the inning before the Rebels made a pair of nice defensive plays on a shot back to the mound and a diving snag on a line drive to third to put two outs on the board. A walk in the next at bat loaded the bases before Iowa State would crack into the scoring column with an RBI single through the left side from Kelsey McFarland. Ole Miss would get out of the inning with a groundout to the next batter to hold to a 7-1 lead on the Cyclones.
The Rebels got the run back in the home half of the inning when Grayce Majam hit her first career home run, belting a shot out over the wall in center field to take the lead out to 8-1 for Ole Miss.
The Cyclones cut into the lead in the fifth inning, using a three-run shot from Lexi Slater to cut the lead to 8-4. Ole Miss then turned to its third pitcher of the afternoon, calling on Emily Gaitan to relieve Madi Osais in the circle. Osias had started in the circle to open the fifth inning in relief of Lindsey.
The Rebels got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth when Natalie Martinez came up with a pinch hit double to left center with two runners in scoring position. The junior drove the ball to the gap and slid in under the tag at second as Schneider and Emily Raspo crossed the plate.
Elantra Cox then singled up the middle, scoring Martinez from second to take the lead out to 11-4 after five innings of play.
Iowa State got a run back in the sixth, cutting the lead to 11-5 as the Cyclones refused to go away quietly in the contest.
Again, the Rebels found an answer with a fielding error on a ground ball to third from Payne with the bases loaded in the sixth. Miranda Strother scored on the play after opening the inning with a double to left. Osias was hit by a pitch and Schneider walked to load the bases for Payne.
The Rebels ended the game when Syrett hit a ground ball to second, bringing Osias home as the junior slid under the tag for the score.
Ole Miss will return to action in game two of the day against host Coastal Carolina at approximately 2 p.m. CT Saturday afternoon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lindsey, Lauren (1-0)
L: Johnson, K. (5-1)
Batting:
2B: Reese, M. 1 ; Slater 1
HR: Slater 1
RBI: Cappaert 1 ; Slater 3 ; McFarland 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gomez 1 ; Reese, M. 1 ; Hartman 2 ; Slater 1
SB: Gomez 1
Batting:
2B: Strother, Miranda 1 ; Martinez, Natalie 1
HR: Payne, Bri 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
RBI: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Payne, Bri 6 ; Syrett, Courtney 2 ; Martinez, Natalie 2 ; Majam, Grayce 1
SH: Syrett, Courtney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Morgan, Jamie 1 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Osias, Madi 1 ; Preciado, Melina 1 ; Schneider, Alex 3 ; Payne, Bri 1 ; Raspo, Emily 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
SB: Strother, Miranda 1 ; Preciado, Melina 1 ; Syrett, Courtney 1
CS: Cox, Elantra 2
HBP: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Osias, Madi 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1
PO: Strother, Miranda 1
