The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
25-19
Southern Miss
16-26
Rebels Sweep Doubleheader With USM
4/15/2015 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. -- The Rebels got timely hitting and a solid pitching performance from Madi Osias on the afternoon as Ole Miss (25-19) swept both games of a doubleheader against Southern Miss (16-26) on Wednesday afternoon.
Ole Miss claimed game one by a score of 7-0 before taking game two with a 3-1 victory.
"We came out swinging the bats early and got to their pitcher early in game one," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "We got an outstanding pitching performance from Madi (Osias) in that first game. We didn't swing it as well to start game two and their pitcher kept us off balance. We then manufactured runs in the sixth inning of game two to get the win. Again, Madi came in and really picked up her teammate after Lauren (Lindsey) struggled some in the start of game two."
Osias (9-11) picked up both wins and did not allow a run on the afternoon, working a combined 12.0 innings with one walk and four strikeouts. She threw a complete-game shutout in the first outing and pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in relief in game two.
Miranda Strother paced the offense, turning in a pair of home runs and four RBI on the afternoon, including driving in the go-ahead run in game two to clinch the sweep.
Ole Miss will return to action this weekend, hosting Louisville in a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday evening at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
OLE MISS - 7, SOUTHERN MISS - 0 -- Game 1
Strother got the Rebels on the board in the first inning, hitting her first two-run shot in the first inning that also scored Natalie Martinez. Martinez reached on a walk to bring Strother to the plate for her fourth home run of the season.
The Rebels added four more runs in the second inning, pushing out to a 6-0 lead on the Golden Eagles. Singles from Bri Payne, Alyssa Invergo and Haley Culley loaded the bases with one and brought freshman Elantra Cox to the plate. Cox then singled through the right side to bring two runs home and advanced to second on a fielding error in right, leaving two in scoring position for the Rebels.
Ole Miss then got two more runs when Martinez singled to right to score both Culley and Cox and give the Rebels the six-run lead.
The Rebels loaded the bases again in the sixth inning with Cox again at the plate. This time, the freshman grounded out to second, but brought Invergo across the plate to give Ole Miss the 7-0 lead. The score would hold to prove to be the final margin of victory in game one of the afternoon.
OLE MISS - 3, SOUTHERN MISS - 1 -- Game 2
Southern Miss struck first in the second game of the afternoon when Samantha Reynolds scored on a sac fly from Morgan McKeever. Reynolds opened the game with a double before taking third on a groundout to set up the score on the fly ball from McKeever.
The Golden Eagles looked to mount another rally in the third inning, putting two runners on base with no outs as the Rebels turned to the bullpen for Osias. The junior and the defense retired three straight batters without surrendering a run to get out of the inning and keep the score 1-0 in favor of Southern Miss.
Strother then hit her second home run of the day with a two-run home run to left that gave the Rebels a 3-1 lead on the Golden Eagles in the sixth inning.
Osias and the defense held things in check in the seventh inning to claim the victory and move Ole Miss to 25 wins on the season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Osias, Madi (9-11)
L: RODGERS, Shelbee (4-11)
Batting:
2B: REYNOLDS, Samantha 2 ; ESTRADA, Selena 1
RBI: MCKEEVER, Morgan 1
SF: MCKEEVER, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: REYNOLDS, Samantha 1
SB: REYNOLDS, Samantha 1 ; JOHNSON, Rachel 1
Batting:
2B: Majam, Grayce 1
3B: Strother, Miranda 1
HR: Strother, Miranda 1
RBI: Strother, Miranda 2
SH: Martinez, Natalie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Culley, Haley 1
