The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
5-2
Troy
4-2
Softball Splits First Two Games at Troy Classic
2/19/2016 | Softball
Game One -- McNeese State 2, Ole Miss 1
Box Score | Final Stats
Game Two -- Ole Miss 6, Troy 1
Box Score | Final Stats
TROY, Ala. -- The Ole Miss softball team fought back and claimed a 6-1 win over host Troy, splitting Friday's games at the Troy Classic at the Trojan Softball Complex.
In game one the Rebels struggled to find any offense despite a good outing from pitcher Alyssa Clayton, but found their rhythm in game two to defeat the Trojans.
Ole Miss (5-2) will play again twice on Saturday, first up versus Eastern Illinois at 9:30 a.m., before closing the day's action with a game against Tennessee Tech scheduled for noon.
Full recaps from both of Friday's games can be found below.
Game One -- McNeese State 2, Ole Miss 1
McNeese took advantage of an early Ole Miss error and drove a runner home in the second. After two quick outs to begin the sequence, the Cowgirls reached on a single to shallow left-center, before stealing second. She was then brought home on a single to shallow left field just inside the line, giving McNeese a 1-0 lead.
The Rebels got the run back in the top half of the fifth thanks to a squeeze bunt from pinch hitter Sarah Van Schaik. After Courtney Syrett led off with a walk, Paige McKinney entered to pinch run and stole second. The throw down to second trickled into center, setting up a runner at third for Van Schaik. She put down the squeeze bringing home McKinney to tie it up, 1-1.
The Cowgirls had a chance to break it open in the sixth, but solid defensive play thwarted the threat. Clayton issued a leadoff walk, before the Cowgirls got two on off an infield single. A walk from relief pitcher Kayla Landwehrmier setup the bases loaded, but Kylan Becker got the Rebels out of the jam when she took care of a fly to right, before firing a rope to Syrett at home ending the frame.
The Cowgirls led off the seventh reaching on a throwing error at third, and after back-to-back intentional walks to setup the bases loaded for the force at home, an error on a throw home brought the game winner home ending the contest.
Clayton was solid in her outing, giving up just one earned run off six hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Lunderman was responsible for both Rebel hits in the loss.
Game Two -- Ole Miss 6, Troy 1
The Trojans got an early two out rally and scored off a single through the right side. Troy went on to load the bases after a hit by pitch and a walk, but Osias worked out of the jam as the Trojans left the bases loaded.
The Rebels got the bats going in the third and strung together four hits to take a lead over the Trojans. Melina Preciado got things started with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Haley Culley. Lunderman delivered in her at-bat with an RBI double to left center field tying it up, 1-1. Miranda Strother drove her home in the next at-bat giving the Rebels a 2-1 advantage.
Osias worked around a jam again in the third as she hit a Troy hitter then walked two more, but a strikeout ended the threat, again leaving the bases loaded for the Trojans.
The Rebels again found the offensive rhythm in the fifth thanks to a triple and two home runs. Culley led off with a deep triple to right field and came home to score on a bunt from Strother. Senior Natalie Martinez then launched a 2-run home run to left field, making it a 5-1 contest. But, the Rebels wouldn't go away quietly. Freshman Ashton Lampton, in a pinch hit at-bat, drilled a solo shot to left for her first collegiate home run, increasing the Rebels' advantage to 6-1.
Jahnke was strong again in just her second appearance as a Rebel, going the final four innings with just one hit allowed and no runs. She struck out four Troy hitters to maintain the lead for the Rebels and get the win.
Lunderman and Martinez both finished with two RBI to lead Ole Miss, while as a team the Rebels pounded out eight hits off Troy pitchers.
For all Ole Miss Softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Fans can also follow head coach Mike Smith on Twitter at @msmithsb16. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jahnke, Elisha (1-0)
L: Rainey, A. (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Lunderman, Hailey 2
3B: Culley, Haley 1
HR: Martinez, Natalie 1 ; Lampton, Ashton 1
RBI: Lunderman, Hailey 1 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Martinez, Natalie 2 ; Lampton, Ashton 1
SH: Culley, Haley 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Culley, Haley 1 ; Lunderman, Hailey 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Martinez, Natalie 1 ; Lampton, Ashton 1 ; Preciado, Melina 1
SB: Strother, Miranda 1 ; Cox, Elantra 1 ; Castro, Bry 1 ; Matiko, Dakota 1
Batting:
RBI: Rainey, A. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Day, Hannah 1
SB: Day, Hannah 1 ; Benton, Kate 1
CS: Benton, Kate 1
HBP: Rainey, A. 1 ; Kayler, C. 1
