Rebels Down Western Michigan 4-3

Feb. 8, 2015

TEMPE, Ariz. - Miranda Strother came up big for the Rebels on Sunday, driving in a pair of runs - including the game-winner with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh - as Ole Miss (3-3) defeated Western Michigan (1-5) by a score of 4-3 to close out the Kajikawa Classic.

Strother went 3-for-4 on the afternoon with the two RBI to lead the Rebel offense, while Madi Osias and Natalie Martinez also added solo home runs on the way to the win.

Osias (2-3) picked up the win, allowing one run on one hit with four walks and seven strikeouts through 4.1 innings of work against the Broncos.

Erin Binkowski (1-2) took the loss for Western Michigan, allowing four runs on 10 hits with a walk and four strikeouts in the game.

"We made it closer than it could have been, but you have to credit the battle from Western Michigan," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "We squandered some opportunities we had to take the lead out to more than it was today. It seems to be our mantra to this point of the season, but we fought through some adversity and got the key hits we needed to in the bottom of the seventh inning. We would have been happier leaving here undefeated or 5-1, but I'm excited about where the program is going."

Ole Miss got on the board in the second inning, using a pair of solo shots to straight-away center from Osias and Martinez to take a 2-0 lead on the Broncos.

The Broncos got a run back in the fifth inning when Jenny Rohn hit a double to right center to drive in Sabrina Gamboa from third. Gamboa walked to open the inning and the Rebels turned to the bullpen for Emily Gaitan. Samboa took second on a sac bunt before an illegal pitch moved her to third.

Gaitan got a strikeout of the next batter to put two outs on the board, but Rohn got the hit to bring in the run and cut the lead to 2-1. Another single put two runners in scoring position, but Gaitan got a ground ball back to the circle for the final out to keep the Rebels in the lead.

Elantra Cox sparked an answering rally for the Rebels in the home half of the six, leading off the inning with a single to right. Cox promptly stole second and advanced to third on a fly ball to right from Allison Brown. Miranda Strother then drove a single to left center to score Cox and take the Ole Miss lead back out to two runs at 3-1.

Western Michigan again put together a rally in the top of the seventh, using a leadoff walk to put a runner on base. A one-out double to right center from Rohn then brought the runner home to cut the lead to one. A double down the right field line in the next at bat from Melissa Palmer tied the game at three and sent the Rebels to call for Osias to re-enter the game at pitcher.

Osias notched a foul out and a strikeout of the next two batters to end the inning with the game tied and the Rebels in position to take the win.

Courtney Syrett opened the home half of the seventh with a single to right, but a fielding error on the play proved advantageous as Syrett scampered to third on the play to put a Rebel in scoring position. Cox then came to the plate with one out on the board

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Team Stats

Miranda Strother

Elantra Cox

Madi Osias

Courtney Syrett

Players Mentioned

Allison Brown

Elantra Cox

Natalie Martinez

Madi Osias

Miranda Strother

Courtney Syrett

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