The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
7-2
Murray State
3-6
Rebel Softball Takes Two in Troy
2/23/2018 | Softball
TROY, Ala. - Ole Miss didn't know it would be playing in the Trojan Classic until early Thursday afternoon but the Rebels made the most of their short stay at the Troy Softball Complex, picking up victories over Murray State and Tennessee Tech Friday.
Elantra Cox started the day with a single that broke the program record for hits in a career and finished it with a 5-for-8 performance, scoring three runs on the day. Autumn Gillespie only had three official at-bats but made the most of the limited opportunities, collecting three RBIs.
The Ole Miss pitching staff was strong all day long, allowing just five total hits over the two games, with the only earned runs credited to the Rebel staff coming on a two-run home run surrendered by Kaitlin Lee.
Game One | Ole Miss 4, Murray State 2
After falling behind 2-0 early, Ole Miss rebounded with a pair of runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to clip Murray State in the early action. Anna Borgen came on in relief of starter Morgan Bruce to earn the win, shutting out the Racers in her 3.1 innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.
Murray State jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the third, scoring both runs off of a passed ball by Autumn Gillespie.
Ole Miss came back to tie the game the very next half inning, with Elantra Cox and Celeste Wood coming home on Gillespie's bases-loaded single up the middle.
After a scoreless fifth, the Rebels plated two to take the lead in the sixth. Kylan Becker led off the frame with a triple into the gap in right-center, scoring a few batters later on Alex Schneider's sacrifice bunt. Schneider reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and scored during the next at bat on a throwing error by the third baseman.
Murray State put two runners on to threaten in the seventh but Kaitlin Lee came on to snuff out the threat, retiring both batters she faced for her first save of the year.
Game Two | Ole Miss 12, Tennessee Tech 2
Ole Miss scored early and often against Tennessee Tech, jumping all over the Golden Eagles to secure a run-rule victory by a score of 12-2.
Despite the first two batters of the game being retired, Ole Miss was still able to take a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, albeit without recording a hit. Wood and Schneider both walked before Gillespie was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brittany Finney and Ally Mena followed with back-to-back RBI walks to give the Rebels an early advantage.
Three-straight singles by Dylinn Stancil, Cox and Becker to open the second got the Rebels back on the board. Following a Wood walk, Gillespie lifted a deep fly to right for a sacrifice, plating Cox. The Rebs scratched another run across with some trickery, with Wood stealing second and Becker flying home on the delayed steal.
Three more runs came across in the third, starting with a Stancil double to deep center, scoring Paige McKinney. Stancil was thrown out attempting to stretch the hit to a triple but that did not deter the Rebels. The next three Rebels registered singles, culminating in an RBI single-bagger up the middle by Kaylee Horton.
The Golden Eagles scored a pair in the bottom half on a two-run home run, the first long ball given up by the Rebels all season. However, Ole Miss responded with another three-spot in the top of the fourth. Jessica Puk scored the first run of the stanza on a wild pitch before Finney scored on a Stancil groundout. Cox plated the final run, bringing Bry Castro home on a single up the middle.
The Rebels added one final run in the fifth as Castro sent a fly ball deep to center field, allowing ample time for Puk to score on the sacrifice. Freshman Ava Tillmann, who came on in relief in the sixth, closed out the game with a clean fifth to complete the run-rule win.
Up next, the Rebels will make their home debut two days later than originally planned. Ole Miss will host SIUE on Sunday at 4 p.m. and will return to the Ole Miss Softball Complex with another showdown with the Cougars Monday at 3 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted live on SEC Network +.
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 softball and all of Ole Miss athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Borgen, Anna (2-0)
L: CAMPBELL, Haven (3-2)
S: Lee, Kaitlin (1)
Batting:
3B: Becker, Kylan 1
RBI: Gillespie, Autumn 2
SH: Becker, Kylan 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Becker, Kylan 1 ; Wood, Celeste 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BIALEK, Kristen 1 ; KESEL, Leah 1
CS: GOETZ, Lillie 1
