The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
23-16
Samford
27-14
Payne, Rebels Power Past Samford
4/8/2015 | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Rebels belted out three home runs on the night, including a grand slam from junior right fielder Bri Payne, as Ole Miss (23-16) pulled away late in a 13-8 victory over Samford (27-14) on the road Wednesday night.
Payne hit her grand slam in the first, while Alyssa Invergo added a solo shot in the fifth and Alex Schneider powered a solo shot to straight-away center in the sixth to keep the Rebels in the lead for the duration of the game.
Madi Osias (7-9) picked up the win for the Rebels, allowing five unearned runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts through 4.0 innings of work.
Rebecca Leonard (3-3) took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing the four runs on the one hit with the Payne grand slam with 0.1 inning of work in the circle.
"We came out swinging the bats very well tonight," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. "The entire lineup from top to bottom did a good job of swinging the bat. We were a little up and down with our pitching. If we're going to do that, we have to make plays behind the pitchers. Madi (Osias) pitched a great ball game, but she got stuck with the unearned runs and had to make more pitches. When we play complete games, we have a chance to win some big ballgames."
Ole Miss got on the board as three consecutive batters reached with one out in the first before a walk of Allison Brown bought the first run home and sent Samford to the bullpen for a pitching change. Bri Payne then hit her second grand slam of the season to push the Rebels out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first.
Samford put together an answering rally in the home half of the first, using an infield single and a bunt single to put the first two runners on base. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position before Callie Brister drove them the first run in with a single up the middle.
The Bulldogs would go on to load the bases before the Rebels would get a strikeout and a groundout to third, trading the run for the out, as Ole Miss held to a 5-2 lead. A third out would come on a lineout from the next batter to end the first inning of play.
Miranda Strother pushed the lead back out to four runs for the Rebels, delivering an RBI double to right center that scored Natalie Martinez in the second inning. A walk of Alex Schneider put two on before Brown would drive a fly ball to right center that advanced Strother to third. A double steal then brought her home and the Rebels led 7-2 after the top of the second.
Back-to-back hits from Alyssa Invergo and Courtney Syrett started the third inning with Invergo coming home from first on the double from Syrett. The run put Ole Miss on top 8-2 and again the Bulldogs went to the bullpen as the Rebels scored in each of the first three innings.
Samford cut into the lead in the fourth inning with a pair of runs off two errors that trimmed the lead to 8-4. The pair of errors on the infield hit let the runner who reached base advance to third with no outs on the board. She then came home a batter later on a sac fly to left field from Brister that pulled the Bulldogs to within three runs at 8-5.
Invergo got the Rebels a run back in the fifth, opening the inning with a solo shot off the top of the wall in left field. The ball bounced back into the field of play and after lengthy discussion and two changes of calls, was ruled a home run for the Rebel second baseman. The result of the call saw Samford head coach Mandy Burford ejected as Ole Miss claimed the 9-5 lead.
Samford again had an answer for the Rebels, putting the first two runners on base with a walk and an infield single before Caitlin Bice would deliver a two-RBI double to center that cut the lead to two runs. Back-to-back fly outs then advance Bice home and the Bulldogs trailed by only one run at 9-8.
The Rebels found an answer in the sixth when Alex Schneider hit a solo shot to straight-away center to push Ole Miss back in front of the Bulldogs 10-8.
Ole Miss took the lead back out to three runs in the seventh when Elantra Cox grounded out second with runners at second and third. Haley Culley scored on the play, pinch running for Syrett who reached on a walk, while Grayce Majam advanced to third on the play after reaching base on a bunt single.
Martinez kept the Rebel runs coming with an RBI double down the left field line that scored Majam and put Ole Miss on top 12-8. A double from Strother then scored Martinez as the Rebels held a 13-8 lead heading into the final frame.
Lindsey and the Rebel defense kept the home team from scoring in the seventh to grab the win on the road. Ole Miss will now return home to host No. 12 Georgia in a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Osias, Madi (7-9)
L: Leonard, Reb (3-3)
Batting:
2B: Martinez, Natalie 1 ; Strother, Miranda 3 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1 ; Syrett, Courtney 1
HR: Schneider, Alex 1 ; Payne, Bri 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1
RBI: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Martinez, Natalie 1 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Brown, Allison 1 ; Payne, Bri 4 ; Invergo, Alyssa 1 ; Syrett, Courtney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martinez, Natalie 3 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Schneider, Alex 2 ; Brown, Allison 1 ; Payne, Bri 1 ; Invergo, Alyssa 2 ; Culley, Haley 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Martinez, Natalie 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Majam, Grayce 1
CS: Schneider, Alex 1
Batting:
2B: Dowdy, Megan 1 ; Spinks, Kars 1
RBI: Dowdy, Megan 1 ; Brister, Cal 2 ; Adams, Abby 1 ; Spinks, Kars 2
SF: Dowdy, Megan 1 ; Brister, Cal 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowdy, Megan 2 ; Maze, Shelby 2 ; Adams, Abby 1 ; Bice, Caitli 1 ; Seay, Caroli 1 ; Miranda, Abb 1
HBP: Adams, Abby 1
