The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
9-2
#23 South Florida
7-4
Ole Miss Rolls on Day One of Hatter Invitational
2/24/2017 | Softball
Game One - Ole Miss 14, Colgate 2 (5 inn.)
Box Score
Game Two - Ole Miss 8, No. 23 USF 0 (6 inn.)
Box Score
DELAND, Fla. - Ole Miss softball continued its streak of run-rule victories, topping Colgate, 14-2, and No. 23 South Florida, 8-0, Friday in day one of the Hatter Invitational at Patricia Wilson Field.
The Rebels (9-2) have now defeated six-straight opponents in mercy-rule fashion, and also extend their streak of eight-plus runs scored to eight games. During those last eight games, Ole Miss has totaled 92 runs and given up just 22.
In Friday's action in Florida, the pitching staff was nearly lights out, giving up just two combined earned runs off seven hits, as Kaitlin Lee and Alyssa Clayton both earned wins with no runs allowed. The offense finished with five extra-base hits, 18 RBI, and drew 16 walks in the two wins.
See below for a detailed recap from both games.
Game One Recap
For the fifth-straight game, Ole Miss posted a double-digit run total. The Rebels jumped all over the Raiders in the first two innings, totaling their eighth and ninth time this season scoring at least five runs in a frame.
Ole Miss sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning, and eight in the second, as all 19 position players saw the field in game one. Elantra Cox drew the first of five walks in the inning and immediately stole second, before Kylan Becker also reached on a walk. After a fielder's choice from Ashton Lampton that moved both runners up, Alyssa Gonzalez also walked, then Miranda Strother punched a sacrifice fly to left scoring Becker giving the Rebels a 1-0 lead.
Brittany Finney then walked, as did Courtney Syrett, which scored Lampton to make it 2-0, before Kaylee Horton delivered a 2-RBI double down the line in left scoring a pair putting Ole Miss up 4-0. Dylinn Stancil followed with the second of three-straight doubles for two RBI, before Elantra Cox tallied the third with a knock down the right field line making it 7-0. Becker, in her second at-bat of the frame, drove in Stancil off an RBI single up the middle, capping the eight-run frame.
Gonzalez then led off the second with a left, before Paige McKinney pinch ran for her and stole second. After Strother walked, Finney rolled a fielder's choice to third as McKinney was tagged out. Syrett then walk, as did Horton, which drove in the ninth run for her third RBI of the contest. In the next at-bat, Stancil reached on an error at second, before the runners got caught in a rundown, forcing another Colgate error which scored all the runners and made it 13-0.
The Rebels went on to score one more in the third when pinch-hitter Kennedy Legg roped an RBI single to right.
In the circle, junior Kaitlin Lee earned the win after not allowing a hit through three innings of work. She allowed her first baserunner in the home half of the third on a two-out walk, before Elisha Jahnke entered to finish it out with the final two innings of work. She gave up two runs off one walk and three hits.
Grayce Majam, who pinch-hit in the third inning, was the only Rebel to finish with two hits, as Horton and Stancil's three RBI each led the way. The pair, as well as Finney and Syrett, all scored twice, as 10 different Rebels drew a walk.
Game Two Recap
In the sixth-straight win in run rule fashion, Clayton controlled the game in the circle, and the Rebel bats strung together nine hits to shut out the Bulls.
Ole Miss posted a 3-run first thanks to an RBI groundout from Gonzalez, a Strother infield single, and hard double to right-center from Finney that made it 3-0. In the next half, the Bulls' leadoff hitter reached on an error, but three-straight putouts from Clayton ended any threat holding the 3-0 lead.
The Rebels again posted three in the second when Stancil and Cox both reached on infield singles, before a passed ball moved them up. From there, Lampton punched a bases-clearing double down the line in left that scored three, increasing the advantage to 6-0.
Ole Miss added another in the fourth when Lampton drew a bases-loaded walk, tying her career high in RBI with four. The Bulls put two on in their half of the fifth after a walk and infield hit, but Clayton worked a double play to escape the inning.
USF went on to load the bases in the sixth, but Becker made an outstanding play in right, ranging back to save at least two runs on a hard line drive near the wall.
Ole Miss completed the mercy-rule win in the sixth when the Bulls intentionally walked two to setup a bases loaded situation, before Cox scored on a wild pitch ending the contest.
Cox, Lampton and Horton all finished 2-for-3, while Lampton drove in four of the eight runs. Cox scored three and also drew two walks.
Clayton went the full six innings with just four hits allowed, three walks and four strikeouts, improving to 3-0 in the circle.
Quick Hits
- In game one, 10 different Rebels drew a walk, totaling 12 in the game, which tied the school record. Ole Miss had previously drawn 12 walks in a game two other times, with the most recent coming in the 2015 season.
- With the 14-3 victory over the Raiders in game one, Ole Miss secured its fifth-straight run-rule victory, and fifth in a row scoring in double figures.
- Junior Kaitlin Lee improved to 3-2 in game one, and didn't allow a hit through three innings of work in the win.
- With eight runs in the first, and five in the second, the Rebels have now totaled nine innings this season with five-plus runs.
- Freshmen Kaylee Horton and defending SEC Freshman of the Week Dylinn Stancil both drove in three runs, which marked a new career high for Horton.
- In game two, junior LHP Alyssa Clayton improved to 3-0 thanks to a scoreless six innings pitched.
- Sophomore 3B Ashton Lampton tied her career high for RBI in a game with four in the win over the Bulls, three off a double, and another off a walk.
- Junior OF Elantra Cox tied her career high in runs scored with three in game two.
- Ole Miss' pitching staff finished the day with a 1.27 ERA, allowing just the two runs in game one, allowing only four hits in the two contests combined.
On Deck
The Rebels continue play in the Hatter Invitational Saturday with games versus Colgate (11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT) and the host Stetson Hatters (4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT).
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: Clayton, Alyssa (3-0)
L: MCGILL, Kalen (1-3)
Batting:
3B: WYCKOFF, Kristen 1
Batting:
2B: Lampton, Ashton 1 ; Finney, Brittany 1
RBI: Lampton, Ashton 4 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Finney, Brittany 1
SH: Stancil, Dylinn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 3 ; Becker, Kylan 1 ; Lampton, Ashton 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Horton, Kaylee 1 ; Stancil, Dylinn 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1
