The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Wins Oxford Regional
5/21/2017 | Softball, Blog
There was no championship hangover for Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional, and the Rebels proved last week was no fluke. Ole Miss needed just three games to claim the regional and advance to the super regionals as one of the 16 teams left standing in the NCAA Tournament. Despite falling behind 2-0 after two innings, the Rebels never flinched. Kaitlin Lee settled in by allowing just one hit over the final five frames, and the Rebel offense supplied the support she needed. A two-run home run by Brittany Finney in the sixth gave Ole Miss its first lead of the game at 4-2. From there, Ole Miss would add three insurance runs in the seventh inning to eliminate North Carolina and move on for the first time in program history.
Key Moment: In the bottom of the fifth, North Carolina had their best chance to reclaim the lead and force a second game. A two-out double and a walk put runners on first and second. Mike Smith made the decision to intentionally walk Kendra Lynch and her .380 batting average to load up the bases. The decision proved to be the right one, as Kaitlin Lee forced the next batter to ground out and end the threat. That sparked the Ole Miss offense in the top of the sixth. After a one-out single, Brittany Finney broke the tie by blasting a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run bomb.Â
Player of the Game: Brittany Finney. When Ole Miss needed a big hit on Sunday, Finney delivered by driving in three of the Rebels' first four runs. The sophomore came through with the hit in the fourth inning to tie the game up at two. Then in the top of the sixth, her two-run homer was the lift Ole Miss needed to win the Oxford Regional and advance to the super regionals.Â
