The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
21-13, 0
Arkansas
14-20, 0
Rebels Sweep Razorbacks With 4-2 Win
3/29/2015 | Softball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Rebels picked up a series win for the second consecutive weekend, posting a series sweep of the Razorbacks on Sunday as Ole Miss (21-13, 5-7 SEC) put together a seventh-inning rally to defeat Arkansas (14-20, 0-9 SEC) by a score of 4-2.
It's the first three-game sweep of a Southeastern Conference foe for the Rebels since the final weekend of the 2012 season against South Carolina.
Madi Osias (6-7) picked up the win for the Rebels in relief, working 3.0 scoreless innings and scattering three hits in those frames. She grabbed all three wins on the weekend to help the Rebels run the active win streak out to six games.
Haley Meinen (1-2) took the loss for the Razorbacks, allowing two unearned runs on five hits with two walks through 5.2 innings of work.
"Right now it's about taking things one game at a time and this team has been resilient," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "We had one inning where we didn't play well defensively, but we got a good start out of Kayla Landwehrmier and quality innings. Madi (Osias) came in and did a heck of job closing out a great weekend. We didn't hit a lot, but we got some key hits in the ballgame."
Ole Miss jumped out to the early lead on the Razorbacks, pushing two homes in the first inning to take the 2-0 lead. Elantra Cox scored the first run on a wild pitch, sprinting home from third to put the Rebels on the board. She reached on a walk and stole second before Natalie Martinez would be hit by a pitch to put two on base.
Miranda Strother then lay down a sac bunt to advance both runners before the wild pitch would score Cox and move Martinez to third. Alex Schneider then lay down another perfect bunt to score Martinez and Ole Miss held the 2-0 lead after the top of the first.
Arkansas got on the board in the second, taking advantage of a pair of Rebel errors to put together a rally and tie the game.
With one already on base following a walk to start the inning, a fielding error at short put two men on for the Razorbacks. Landwehrmier got the first out with a foul pop up to the catcher, but a single up the middle in the next at bat brought the first run home while a throwing error on the play in from centerfield moved two runners into scoring position.
A groundout to second brought the tying run home and left a runner on third for Devon Wallace. Ole Miss got out of the inning as Strother snagged a fly ball at the wall to end the inning and keep the game square at 2-2.
After four innings of scoreless ball, the Rebels moved back in front with two runs in the seventh.
An infield single from Cox to open the inning was followed by a steal of second. Martinez then singled to second to put two on base for the Rebels. Strother then lay down a bunt in an attempt to get Cox home.
The Razorbacks elected to let Strother reach safely and went for Cox in a rundown between third and home as Martinez raced to third. A throwing error in the rundown allowed Cox to scamper home and give the Rebels the lead while Strother advanced to second and put two in scoring position for Ole Miss.
Schneider then delivered a sac fly to left to score Martinez and the Rebels held a 4-2 lead after the top of the seventh.
Osias and the Rebels then held the Razorbacks off the board in the seventh to claim the win and the series sweep.
Ole Miss will return to action on Tuesday afternoon, hosting UT-Martin in a single game at 5 p.m. at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Osias, Madi (6-7)
L: MEINEN (1-2)
Batting:
RBI: Schneider, Alex 2
SH: Strother, Miranda 1 ; Syrett, Courtney 1
SF: Schneider, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 2 ; Martinez, Natalie 2
SB: Cox, Elantra 2 ; McKinney, Paige 1
HBP: Martinez, Natalie 1 ; Brown, Allison 1 ; Culley, Haley 1
Batting:
2B: COOPER 1
RBI: CLARK 1 ; COOPER 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KRZYSKO 1 ; YANNETTI 1
SB: WALLACE 1
HBP: HARRISON 1
