The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
12-4
Bethune-Cookman
4-13
Rebels Down Michigan State, Bethune Cookman
2/28/2015 | Softball
MIAMI, Fla. - The Ole Miss softball team continued to pick up the wins on Saturday by taking down two more opponents at the Felsberg Invitational hosted by FIU, defeating Michigan State and Bethune Cookman in a pair of games.
Ole Miss (12-4) ran its active win streak out to nine games and improved to 4-0 on the weekend with a 4-3 win over Michigan State (8-7) before closing out the afternoon with a 5-1 win over Bethune Cookman (4-13).
"It felt like we were really rolling there in the first game against Michigan State before the rain delay hit and then it was a bit of a sour ending, but we got the win and that was the important thing," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "Michigan State made some nice adjustments and got off some good swings there at the end.
"Emily (Gaitan) did a great job for us and pitched a good game in the first game," Smith said. "We got ourselves into some jams in the second game, but Lauren (Lindsey) and the defense got us out of them. Then Emily came back in and shut the door to give us another win before we get back after it Sunday."
The Rebels conclude the tournament against Michigan State at 9 a.m. CT on Sunday.
OLE MISS 5, BETHUNE COOKMAN 1
Ole Miss used a big third inning to power past Bethune Cookman for the second time on the weekend, plating five runs on the way to a 5-1 victory.
Lauren Lindsey (3-0) picked up the win, working 5.0 innings and allowing one run on four hits with three walks.
Bailey Conner (2-3) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits through 2.1 innings of work before leaving the game for Sabrina Anguiano to close out the final 3.2 innings.
Bethune Cookman threatened first, loading the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a walk in the third. Ole Miss escaped the jam, however, when Lindsey got a ground ball to short for a double play as Haley Culley connected with Alyssa Invergo to turn the twin killing and end the inning.
Ole Miss answered in the home half, converting on the scoring opportunities to take a 3-0 lead on the Wildcats. Natalie Martinez opened the inning with a triple to right and scored on a suicide bunt from Elantra Cox two batters late to put the Rebels on the board.
Cox then stole second and went to third on a single through the right side from Allison Brown with Brown advancing to second as Bethune Cookman threw home to hold Cox at third. Miranda Strother then drove both runners in with a single up the middle to give Ole Miss the 3-0 lead and force a pitching change.
Following the pitching change for the Wildcats, the Rebels again loaded the bases with a walk of Bri Payne and a fielding error on a ground ball to third from Alex Schneider. Invergo then drove a ball to right, scoring Strother and pinch runner Emily Raspo to take the lead out to 5-0 before Bethune Cookman would get out of the inning.
The Wildcats got on the board in the fifth, scratching out a run with the help of a passed ball and a groundout after back-to-back singles to start the inning, but the Rebels held to a 5-1 lead after the top of the fifth.
The Rebels held the Wildcats in check from there with Emily Gaitan pitching the final 2.0 innings on the way to the Ole Miss win.
OLE MISS 4, MICHIGAN STATE 3
Gaitan (7-0) picked up her third win in as many games, dominating in the circle prior to a one hour rain delay, and then settling in after the break to hold onto the Rebel win. The sophomore allowed three runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts on the afternoon.
Valerie Kaff (1-3) took the loss for the Spartans, allowing four runs on five hits with five walks and six strikeouts.
The Rebels got on the board in the second inning with a solo shot to left field from Alex Schneider to start the scoring. Haley Culley then reached on a walk and stole second before adding to the lead when she scored from second on an infield single to short from Courtney Syrett. The hustle play gave Ole Miss a 2-0 lead after the top of the second.
Ole Miss added two more runs in the fifth inning when Miranda Strother delivered a two-out single to third with Paige McKinney and Elantra Cox in scoring position. Strother hit the ground ball to third and sprinted to first, arriving at the same time as the ball which the first baseman couldn't handle as McKinney scored from third and Cox came home from second on the play.
The Rebels led 4-0 after the top of the fifth.
With Ole Miss looking to close things out in the seventh, the game went into delay as rain began to fall. After a delay of almost an hour, the game resumed with the Rebels at the plate and one out. Michigan State retired the next two batters faced and sent things into the home half of the seventh.
Three straight hits, including back-to-back doubles, started the inning for the Spartans as Michigan State cut the lead in half at 4-2 and prompting a mound visit for Ole Miss.
A fourth consecutive hit put runners at the corners before a passed ball brought home a third run to cut the lead to one run at 4-3 and move the trail runner into scoring position for the Spartans.
Gaitan settled in after the rough start following the delay and retired the next three batters, using a groundout, a strikeout and a lineout to end the inning and preserve the victory for the Rebels.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lindsey, Lauren (3-0)
L: CONNER,Bailey (2-3)
Batting:
RBI: ORTEGA,Sophia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SHELLEY,Calesha 1
HBP: CAMPOS,Bryanna 1
Batting:
2B: Schneider, Alex 1
3B: Martinez, Natalie 1
RBI: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1
SH: Cox, Elantra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Brown, Allison 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Raspo, Emily 1 ; Martinez, Natalie 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Preciado, Melina 1
CS: Invergo, Alyssa 1
