Culley's Home Run Gives Rebels Series Win

March 28, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Haley Culley delivered a three-run, inside-the-park home run with two outs in the eighth inning to snap a tie game and propel Ole Miss (20-13, 4-7 SEC) to a 6-4 win over Arkansas (14-19, 0-8 SEC) in eight innings on Saturday afternoon.

The win clinched the weekend series for the Rebels who have won back-to-back weekend series after posting a series win over No. 24 Mississippi State a week ago.

Madi Osias (5-7) picked up the win in the circle, working a complete game and allowing four runs - two earned - on seven hits with seven walks and two strikeouts.

Sydney Wright (9-9) suffered the loss on the afternoon, allowing six runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 8.0 innings.

"After the first two series I said we had kind of lost our identity a little, but we found it again last week in that series win and it carried over," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "This team is very resilient and never quits. Madi was solid in the circle and kept making the pitches we needed. I was impressed with her and we scratched away some runs until the big hit by Haley Culley in the eighth inning."

Ole Miss got on the board in the first inning when Natalie Martinez hit a solo shot down the left field line to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead on the Razorbacks.

Arkansas got on the board in the second inning, loading the bases with one out before Parker Pocklington drove a sac fly to right field, scoring pinch runner Shelby Hiers from third. The Rebels would get a pop up to end the inning and head to the third in a 1-1 game.

Ole Miss broke the stalemate in the fifth inning when Grayce Majam delivered a two-out RBI single through the right side to bring Paige McKinney home from third. Allison Brown reached on a single and was replaced on the base path by McKinney who moved to second on a sac bunt. She then stole third to set up the go-ahead run on the Majam hit and the Rebels led 2-1 after the top of the fifth.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Razorbacks used a walk, a single to center and a fielding error to put two in scoring position with one out on the board. Another fielding error on a ground ball to second allowed both runs to come home and gave Arkansas the 3-2 lead before the Rebels would get out of the inning.

Brown came through for the second day in a row, delivering a two-out double to the wall in right field in the sixth to tie the game. Pinch runner Jamie Morgan scored on the play after coming in to replace Martinez following a single from the junior. Morgan then took second on a walk of Bri Payne and stole third to set up the score on the Brown double that knotted things at 3-3.

Ole Miss got a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh, putting runners at the corners with two outs, but the Razorbacks got a groundout to end the inning and keep the score tied. Ole Miss then returned the favor in the home half of the frame and sent the game to extra innings.

Culley came up with the play of the game in the eighth inning, delivering her inside-the-park home run with two outs to put the Rebels on top 6-3.

Arkansas got one run back in the bottom of the eighth, but the Rebels' defense and Osias limited further damage in the circle to pick up the 6-4 win and clinch the weekend series.

The Rebels and Razorbacks will conclude the weekend series at 1 p.m. Sunday in a game broadcast online with the SEC Network+ digital platform.

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Team Stats

Natalie Martinez

Allison Brown

Elantra Cox

Miranda Strother

Players Mentioned

Allison Brown

Haley Culley

Grayce Majam

Natalie Martinez

Paige McKinney

Jamie Morgan

Madi Osias

Bri Payne

The University of Mississippi Athletics