The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
2-3
UC Santa Barbara
1-2
Ole Miss Splits Day Three At Kajikawa
2/7/2015 | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. - Ole Miss (2-3) split a pair of contests on day three of the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State, defeating Fresno State (2-1) in the first game of the day before falling to UC Santa Barbara (1-2) in the final contest of the afternoon.
Ole Miss used a late surge to push past the Fresno State Bulldogs by a score of 4-0 and post the first shutout of the season. The Rebels couldn't close things out against the Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara, however, dropping a 3-2 contest on a two-run shot in the seventh inning.
The Rebels will close out the weekend of play at the annual tournament against Western Michigan at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday.
OLE MISS 4, FRESNO STATE 0
Emily Gaitan pitched the Rebels' first shutout of the season, holding things in check until the bats came alive in the sixth inning as Ole Miss defeated Fresno State by a score of 4-0 in the first of two games on Saturday at the Kajikawa Classic.
Gaitan (1-0) allowed three walks and struck out five while holding the Bulldogs to four hits on the afternoon to pick up the win.
Jill Compton (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs - three of them earned - on four hits with a walk and nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
Ole Miss found itself in a jam in the first inning when a single couple with a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases for Fresno State. The Rebels were able to get out of the jam when Gaitan coaxed a ground ball back to the circle for the final out to end the scoring threat.
The Rebels again escaped trouble in the second as Fresno State got a pair of runners on with two outs, but Gaitan again delivered a critical strikeout to end the inning and strand another runner in scoring position for the Bulldogs without surrendering a run.
Ole Miss got a chance to get on the board in the third when Elantra Cox reached on a fielding error with two outs. She then stole second before moving to third on a throwing error as the Bulldogs tried to get the speedy freshman at second. Fresno State got out of the inning with a strikeout in the next at bat to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
The Rebels broke through in the sixth inning, plating a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead on the Bulldogs. Courtney Syrett singled to center to get things started before being replaced on the base path by Jamie Morgan. Morgan took second on a sac bunt from Cox and then scored a batter later on a double to the wall in left by pinch hitter Natalie Martinez.
Haley Culley re-entered the game to run for Martinez on second and moved to third on a single to left from Allison Brown. Brown advanced to second as the Bulldogs threw home to hold Culley at third. The Rebel junior scored in the next at bat when Miranda Strother belted out a sac fly to deep center to give the Rebels the two-run lead after the top of the sixth.
The Rebels took the lead out to 4-0 in the seventh inning. Melina Preciado drew a one-out walk to start the rally before a fielding error at third on a ground ball from pinch hitting Bri Payne put two on base. Grayce Majam re-entered the game to run for Payne as Fresno State made a pitching change for Hannah Harris.
Syrett came up with another big hit for the Rebels, driving a ground-rule double down the first base line to score Preciado and send Majam to third.
Paige McKinney then lay down a bunt in the next at bat, bringing Majam home as the Bulldogs' pitcher rushed her throw and sailed it over the catcher, allowing Majam to score for the 4-0 lead. Fresno State made the play on the trail runner, applying the tag in time to get Syrett trying to score on the play, but the Rebels held a 4-0 lead after the top of the seventh.
Gaitan and the Rebel defense then retired the side in order in the home half of the seventh to pick up the shutout victory.
UC SANTA BARBARA 3, OLE MISS 2
Madi Osias (1-3) and the Rebels couldn't close things out against UC Santa Barbara in the final game of the afternoon as the Gauchos used a two-out, two-run home run in the seventh inning to pick up a 3-2 win over the Rebels.
Osias entered the game in relief of starter Lauren Lindsey, working the final 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout in her time in the circle.
Ashley Ludlow (1-0) picked up the win for the Gauchos, allowing the two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Elantra Cox got things started for the Rebels against the Gauchos, drawing a leadoff walk in the first. She immediately stole second and took third on a throwing error as the throw sailed on the catcher trying to gun her down on the steal. Cox then came home on a ground ball to short from Allison Brown to put the Rebels on top 1-0.
UCSB got on the board in the fourth when Arianna Palomares opened the inning with a double down the right field line. Stacy Cavazos came in to run for her and took third on a fly out to deep left from Shelby Wisdom. A sac fly to left from MeShalon Moore brought Cavazos home as the Gauchos tied the game at 1-1.
Ole Miss moved back in front in the fifth on an RBI single through the left side from Allison Brown. Syrett drew a walk to get on base for the Rebels and was replaced on the base path by Jamie Morgan. Morgan stole second and advanced to third on a groundout from Cox, setting up the score on the Brown hit to give the Rebels the 2-1 lead.
The Gauchos moved in front for the first time on the afternoon in the seventh inning when Emily Brucelas hit a two-run shot to left field with two outs on the board to take a 3-2 lead. With two outs on the board, the Gauchos mounted the rally behind a double down the third base line that clipped the bag and bounced down the line from Sami Stark to keep the inning alive for the Brucelas hit.
Ole Miss couldn't get the run back in the seventh as the Gauchos picked up the one-run win over the Rebels.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: A. Ludlow (1-0)
L: Osias, Madi (1-3)
Batting:
2B: A. Palomares 1 ; S. Stark 1
HR: E. Brucelas 1
RBI: M. Moore 1 ; E. Brucelas 2
SF: M. Moore 1
Base Running:
RUNS: S. Cavazos 1 ; K. Sisson 1 ; E. Brucelas 1
HBP: S. Stark 1
Batting:
RBI: Brown, Allison 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Morgan, Jamie 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Morgan, Jamie 1
