The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
12-5
Michigan State
10-7
Rebels Fall To Michigan State In Extra Innings
3/1/2015 | Softball
MIAMI, Fla. - The Rebels rallied twice to force extra innings, but couldn't find a third answering rally as a six-run eighth inning spelled trouble and Ole Miss (12-5) fell to Michigan State (10-7) by a score of 9-3 to close out the Felsberg Invitational at FIU on Sunday.
The Rebels went 4-1 on the weekend with wins over Michigan State, FIU and a pair of victories over Bethune Cookman before falling in the Sunday finale against the Spartans.
Emily Gaitan (7-1) took her first loss of the season, allowing seven runs - two earned - on four hits with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings of relief work. Madi Osias started the game, working 4.2 innings and allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Kristina Zalewski (7-3) picked up the win, allowing the three runs on 10 hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in the outing. She pitched 7.1 innings before giving way to Valerie Kaff in the eighth.
Ole Miss got on the board in the first inning when Elantra Cox scored on a Bri Payne single to right field. Cox reached with an infield single to second, beating the fielder to the bag as the speedy lead-off hitter raced down the line. She then stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by Allison Brown before coming home on the two-out hit by Payne.
Michigan State got on the board in the second, tying the game on an RBI single from Stephanie Sanders. McKinzie Freimuth was hit by a pitch to open the inning and took second on a sac bunt from Shanin Thomas to move her to scoring position. Sanders delivered her single up the middle to tie the game.
The Spartans took the lead in the fifth inning, plating a second run on a double to left center from Freimuth. Jaquie Reiser opened the inning with a walk before Michigan State again used a sac bunt to put the runner in scoring position. She then came home on the two-out double to put the Spartans on top 2-1.
The Rebels then turned to the bullpen for Emily Gaitan. The sophomore got a groundout to second as Paige McKinney made a diving snag and threw the runner out at first from her knees to end the inning.
Ole Miss evened the game again in the sixth with an RBI groundout to second from Payne that brought Strother home from third. Strother opened the inning with a line drive to left field and then promptly stole second and third to set up the score on the chopper to second from Payne.
Michigan State reclaimed the lead in the seventh inning when Alyssa McBride delivered a sacrifice fly to right to bring Destinee Luna home from third. Luna reached on a walk before moving to second on a sac bunt. A wild pitch then advanced Luna to third to set up the go-ahead score on the McBride fly out.
Ole Miss again found an answer in the home half of the seventh when Elantra Cox sparked a rally with a lead-off triple to open the inning. She then came home two batters later on a single from Miranda Strother that knotted the game 3-3. The Rebels couldn't get the winning run home, however, as the Spartans got a groundout and a double play to keep things in check and force extra innings.
Once again the Spartans rallied to take the lead, using a hit batter and a single to start the eighth inning before a fielding error on a sac bunt loaded the bases. The Rebels got a strikeout to put the first out on the board, but a ground ball to short brought the go-ahead run home as the runner slid in ahead of the ball and kept the bases loaded. A throwing error home on the next ground ball to short allowed two more runs to score and the Spartans grabbed a 6-3 lead on the Rebels.
A single up the middle kept things going for Michigan State as the Spartans continued the rally and put six runs on the board to lead 9-3 after the top of the eighth and pick up the victory.
Ole Miss will return to action on Tuesday evening, hosting the Memphis Tigers at 6 p.m. in the home opener at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Zalewski, Kristina (7-3)
L: Emily Gaitan (7-1)
Batting:
2B: Freimuth, McKinzie 1
RBI: Freimuth, McKinzie 2 ; Sanders, Stephanie 1 ; Luna, Destinee 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 2
SH: Thomas, Shanin 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Reiser, Jacquie 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 1
SF: McBride, Alyssa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Freimuth, McKinzie 1 ; Thomas, Shanin 1 ; Sanders, Stephanie 1 ; Long, McKenzie 1 ; Luna, Destinee 2 ; Reiser, Jacquie 2 ; McBride, Alyssa 1
SB: Freimuth, McKinzie 1 ; McBride, Alyssa 2
HBP: Freimuth, McKinzie 1 ; Thomas, Shanin 1
Batting:
3B: Cox, Elantra 1
RBI: Strother, Miranda 1 ; Payne, Bri 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 2 ; Strother, Miranda 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Strother, Miranda 3
