The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
20-3
Jackson State
6-16
No. 22 Ole Miss Run Rules Jackson State 10-1
3/12/2017 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. - Behind another 10-run performance offensively, and a strong outing from Brittany Finney in her first home start, No. 22 Ole Miss softball run ruled Jackson State, 10-1, Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Ole Miss Classic.
With the victory, the Rebels (20-3) match last year's record through 23 games, closing out two-straight weeks of home tournament play with a 7-1 record.
In Sunday's contest, Ole Miss used a big second inning plating five runs, before scoring five more in the final two frames to put away the Tigers (6-16). Sophomore Ashton Lampton walked off with an inside-the-park home run in the sixth, securing the Rebels' 10th run-rule decision of the season.
Offensively, junior Elantra Cox carried her school record hit streak to 16 games, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. She's now recorded 10 multi-hit games in a row for a total of 14 this season, tallying 27 hits during that streak.
Senior Miranda Strother also went a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of runs and an RBI, while sophomores Kylan Becker and Sarah Van Schaik both added two hits and two RBI each. Lampton finished with two RBI off the walk-off home run, while Bry Castro and Alyssa Gonzalez also recorded an RBI each.
In the circle, Finney worked five innings in her first start in front of the home crowd, allowing only four hits and an unearned run with five strikeouts. Junior Kaitlin Lee worked the final inning needing only six pitches to retire Jackson State in order.
After the two sides traded a scoreless first, freshman Dylinn Stancil led the charge in the second with a leadoff single to right, before Strother rolled one of her three singles to the shortstop. Van Schaik, in her first start of 2017, punched an RBI single up the middle giving the Rebels an early 1-0 lead. Gonzalez then singled to right driving another in setting up runners on the corners. She then got caught in a pickle between first and second base, on what was eventually a successful double steal. The attempted throw home was off and scored another, allowing Gonzalez to move to third.
Paige McKinney, who earned the start at second base, walked and stole second, before Cox reached on an infield single. Becker then ripped a 2-RBI single up the middle scoring the pair, putting Ole Miss out front 5-0 through two.
The Tigers scratched their only run across in the fourth after an infield error, then a double went to the wall in left cutting the lead to 5-1.
But, the Rebels got a pair back in the fifth when Becker reached on a single and moved up on an error, before Strother drove her in off an RBI single to left. She then stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch, before Van Schaik's RBI double to right allowed her to score making it a 7-1 lead.
In the sixth, Grayce Majam got the rally going with a leadoff single to right, before moving to second on a groundout from Dominique Salinas. Cox then reached on a bunt single, and Castro followed with a sacrifice fly to right making it a 8-1 advantage. Lampton, who was 0-for-3 at the time, then stepped in and delivered the final blow with the inside-the-park home run to right field, scoring two more to seal the 10-1 viictory.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss won its 20th game on Sunday, matching last season's start through 23 games.
- With the victory, the Rebels finished two-straight weekends of home tournament play with a 7-1 record.
- Sunday's 10 runs in the win marked the ninth time this season scoring in double figures.
- The 13-hit performance marked the 12th double digit hit total of the season, and fifth time in the last six games with at least 10 hits.
- Junior Elantra Cox carried her school record hit streak to 16 games, and has now recorded 14 multi-hit games in 23 tries, including 10 in-a-row.
- Senior Miranda Strother tallied her second three-hit game of the weekend, and finished with eight total hits in the Ole Miss Classic, six runs scored, three stolen bases and four RBI.
- Sophomore Ashton Lampton finished the weekend with five hits, but made two of them were home runs tallying eight RBI in the four games with four runs scored.
- Lampton's inside-the-park home run in the sixth inning was the first for Ole Miss since March 28, 2015, when Haley Culley had one at Arkansas.
- Sophomore Brittany Finney improved her season record to 3-0 after a five inning win on Sunday, not allowing an earned run off only four hits.
On Deck
Ole Miss returns to midweek action Wednesday night at 6 p.m. vs. Southeastern Louisiana.
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: Finney, Brittany (3-0)
L: Sybil Lozano (3-4)
Batting:
2B: Queen Briggs 1
RBI: Queen Briggs 1
SH: Alexis Hansard 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sierra Smith 1
SB: Victoria Nelson 1
Batting:
2B: Sarah Van Schaik 1
HR: Lampton, Ashton 1
RBI: Becker, Kylan 2 ; Castro, Bry 1 ; Lampton, Ashton 2 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Sarah Van Schaik 2 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1
SF: Castro, Bry 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Becker, Kylan 1 ; Lampton, Ashton 1 ; Stancil, Dylinn 1 ; Strother, Miranda 2 ; Sarah Van Schaik 1 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; McKinney, Paige 1 ; Grayce Majam 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Strother, Miranda 1 ; Sarah Van Schaik 1 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; McKinney, Paige 1
CS: Cox, Elantra 1
