The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
40-21
#3 Oklahoma
49-7
Ole Miss Falls to No. 3 Oklahoma
5/21/2016 | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. - The Rebel softball team gave up a big inning early and couldn't mount the comeback, falling to No. 3 Oklahoma, 9-1, Saturday in the winners' bracket game of the NCAA Softball Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field.
With the loss, Ole Miss (40-21) drops to the losers' bracket to face the winner of Tulsa/Wichita State in an elimination game scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The winner of the elimination game will then advance on to face the Sooners Sunday needing two wins to claim the regional championship.
In the Saturday winners bracket game, it was the second inning that proved to be the difference as three Ole Miss pitchers (Madi Osias, Elisha Jahnke, Krista Jacobs) allowed four walks, hit two batters and surrendered three hits in the 7-run frame for the Sooners.
It all started with a leadoff solo blast to right field that put the Sooners up 2-0. Osias then worked back-to-back putouts with a strikeout and fly out, but the 9-hole hitter got the 2-out rally going from there. After an infield single, Osias walked Erin Miller then hit Caleigh Clifton to load the bases. After a walk to score the third run, Jahnke entered in relief, surrendering a 3-RBI double to make it a 5-0 game.
From there, Jahnke hit a batter to put two on, gave up back-to-back wild pitches to score one, walked Pendley, allowed a stolen base, then threw another wild pitch to score a run. Jacobs entered in relief, the Rebels' third pitcher of the frame, and walked a batter before getting a fly out to end the long second frame.
The Rebels scored their only run in the third off a sacrifice fly from Hailey Lunderman that scored Miranda Strother, while the Sooners added the ninth run in the fourth off a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt.
With her run in the third, Strother becomes the Rebels' single-season leader for runs scored in a season with 43. Elantra Cox and Strother finished with the hits for Ole Miss, while Osias was tagged with the loss in the circle, just her ninth on the season.
On Deck
Ole Miss will take on either Tulsa or Wichita State in an elimination game scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday night in Norman.
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: Parker, Paige (30-3)
L: Osias, Madi (22-9)
Batting:
2B: Strother, Miranda 1
RBI: Lunderman, Hailey 1
SH: Matiko, Dakota 1
SF: Lunderman, Hailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Strother, Miranda 1
CS: Cox, Elantra 1
Batting:
2B: Knighten, Shay 1
HR: Pendley, Nicole 1
RBI: Romero, Sydney 1 ; Knighten, Shay 4 ; Pendley, Nicole 1 ; Self, Kady 1
SH: Self, Kady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Erin 2 ; Clifton, Caleigh 1 ; Romero, Sydney 1 ; Knighten, Shay 1 ; Rogers, Raegan 1 ; Aviu, Fale 1 ; Pendley, Nicole 1 ; Arnold, Kelsey 1
SB: Pendley, Nicole 1
HBP: Miller, Erin 1 ; Clifton, Caleigh 1 ; Aviu, Fale 1
