The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
8-4
Memphis
3-7
Rebels Down Delaware, Memphis Saturday
2/21/2015 | Softball
PETAL, Miss. - The Rebels broke out the bats and hit for both power and average Saturday, combining for six home runs and 26 hits through two games as Ole Miss (8-4) defeated both Delaware (5-4) and Memphis (3-7) at Petal High School.
The Rebels got six home runs from four different players on the way to a 12-4 win in five innings over Delaware and an 8-2 win over Memphis.
"We were happy to get some ballgames in after the weather we've been having in north Mississippi," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "We came ready to play and that can be something you're unsure of when rescheduling games at the last minute. We swung the bats well and got some pretty good pitching as well."
The Rebels will return to action on Wednesday, February 25, playing the first home games of the season with a doubleheader against Southern Miss beginning at 2 p.m.
OLE MISS 8, MEMPHIS 2
Emily Gaitan (4-0) picked up the win while Madi Osias came in and shut things down to pick up the save as Ole Miss defeated Memphis in game two of the afternoon by a score of 8-2.
Gaitan allowed two runs on eight hits with five walks and five strikeouts through 5.2 innings of work, while Osias entered the game with the bases loaded and the tying run on deck. Osias worked the final 1.1 innings with three strikeouts in four batters faced to end the game.
The Rebels escaped a jam early as the Tigers loaded the bases in the first inning, but Gaitan struck out Memphis' Calli Irvin to end the inning and keep Memphis from getting into the scoring column.
Ole Miss returned the favor in the home half of the first, loading the bases with no outs in the inning. A wild pitch brought a run home as Elantra Cox crossed the plate and Allison Brown and Miranda Strother advanced to scoring position.
Alex Schneider drew a walk to reload the bases before a wild pitch on a 2-2 count to Courtney Syrett brought Brown home and gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead after the first.
Memphis looked to get on the board in the second inning, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Gaitan got a strikeout to put the first out on the board before getting the next batter to hit a ground ball to second. Paige McKinney scooped and tagged the lead runner and interference was called as she tried to make the throw to first, ending the inning without a run scoring.
Ole Miss added to its lead in the third inning with a two-run shot from Strother that gave the Rebels a 4-0 cushion on the Tigers.
Memphis put two in scoring position again in the fifth, but once again Gaitan and the Rebel defense worked out of the jam without a run crossing the plate to maintain the four-run lead.
The Rebels built on the lead in the fifth with back-to-back solo home runs from Alyssa Invergo and Schneider to start the scoring and capped it when pinch-runner Jamie Morgan scored on a throwing error to second on a steal attempt. The Rebels led 7-0 after the fifth as Memphis escaped a bases-loaded jam with a ground ball to second to end the inning and keep the game alive.
Memphis cut into the lead in the sixth inning, getting on the board with a pair of runs off a string of infield singles before loading the bases and sending the Rebels to the bullpen for Madi Osias. With the two outs and the bases juiced, Osias got a strikeout to end the inning and keep the Rebels on top 7-2.
Ole Miss added a run back to the lead in the sixth with an RBI single from Haley Culley that scored Invergo. Invergo opened the inning with a double before the two-out hit from Culley brought her home.
The Rebels grabbed the win as Osias and the defense shut things down in the seventh to end the game.
OLE MISS 12, DELAWARE 4 (5 Innings)
Lauren Lindsey (2-0) pitched well for the Tigers in the first game of the afternoon, allowing four runs on six hits with five strikeouts in the 5.0 innings of work.
Ole Miss got on the board in the first inning on a solo shot to left center from Allison Brown.
The Rebels built on the lead in the second inning, using back-to-back doubles from Courtney Syrett and Paige McKinney to take the lead out to 2-0. The Blue Hens turned to the bullpen for Jordan Cargile as Ole Miss looked to build on the lead.
With one out on the board, Cox set the Rebels up for more runs as she lay down a perfect bunt to move McKinney to third. Cox continued the pressure, taking second on the play as Delaware threw to third in an attempt to get McKinney who had taken a big turn at third. The play left the Rebels with two in scoring position with Brown coming back to the plate.
Brown extended the lead, driving a two-RBI double to the gap in left center and give the Rebels a 4-0 lead.
Strother then brought Brown home, driving a ground ball to second that took a last minute hop on the fielder and jumped into right field, allowing Brown to score as Ole Miss moved in front of the Blue Hens 5-0.
Schneider added a solo shot of her own in the third inning to take the Rebel lead out to 6-0.
Delaware got on the board in the top of the fourth, using a wild pitch to bring a run home and cut the lead to 6-1. Mariah Kondravy reached on a single and was replaced on the base path by pinch runner Mattie Nuccio. Nuccio then took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an illegal pitch and then scored on the wild pitch.
Brown hit her second home run of the game, the third for the Rebels in the outing, in the fourth inning to push the OIe Miss lead out to 7-1. Cox scored on the play after reaching on a bunt single.
The Blue Hens continued to cut into the lead in the fifth inning, using a three-run shot to straight-away center from Heather Oakley with two outs to cut the Rebel lead in half at 8-4.
Ole Miss got the runs back in the home half of the inning, starting with a pinch-hit RBI triple from Haley Culley that scored Syrett and McKinney. Culley then scored on a single up the middle from Cox to take the lead back out to seven runs.
Cox stole second and took third on a fly out to right from Brown to bring Strother to the plate. The sophomore ended the game with a ball back up the middle to bring Cox home and give the Rebels the win in five innings.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Emily Gaitan (4-0)
L: SMITH, Molly (0-4)
S: Osias, Madi (1)
Batting:
RBI: TROSCLAIR, Kyler 1 ; SCHULZ, Sami Jo 1
SH: TROSCLAIR, Kyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LEE, Brooke 1 ; MAXWELL, Addison 1
SB: LEE, Brooke 1
Batting:
2B: Payne, Bri 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1
HR: Strother, Miranda 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1
RBI: Strother, Miranda 2 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Culley, Haley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Brown, Allison 2 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 2 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Morgan, Jamie 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 2 ; McDonough, Aimilia 1 ; Morgan, Jamie 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
