The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
24-18
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UTEP
18-27
Rebel Offense Rolls in 8-4 Win Over UTEP
4/21/2018 | Softball
EL PASO, Texas - Ole Miss (24-18) controlled things for much of the game but had to hold on in the end Friday night, thwarting a UTEP (18-27) comeback attempt in an 8-4 victory at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
Kaitlin Lee got the start in the circle and while the senior allowed plenty of runners to get on, time and time again she had the answer to keep the Miners off the scoreboard. Lee threw five complete, allowing one run on six hits, stranding eight runners on base.
Ava Tillmann entered in relief and was effective early. However, Tillmann ran into some trouble in the final frame and was lifted for Anna Borgen, finishing with three runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Borgen faced just two batters, collecting the final out to pick up her first career save.
After the first two batters were retired, the Rebels put together a 2-out rally to earn an early lead. Dylinn Stancil got things started with a single to right and Brittany Finney brought her in with a double to the gap in right-center.
The Rebels added a pair in the fourth to push the advantage to 3-0. Finney led off with a mammoth shot to right field, easily clearing the fence for a solo homer. Later on in the frame, Paige McKinney hit a bloop that didn't even make it to the grass beyond the shortstop but was far enough to bring Alex Schneider home on a hustle double.
A leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly got UTEP on the board in the fifth but Ole Miss responded with a big sixth inning to seize control with a crooked number. Bry Castro got the party started with a two-out single to right-center, driving in a pair. Elantra Cox brought two more in with a double down the left field line and was brought home on Kaylee Horton's double. All in all, the Rebels struck for five runs to bring the score to 8-1.
UTEP made things interesting in the seventh, scoring three runs and bringing the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded but the Rebels were able to hang on for the victory.
Ole Miss will now hit the road for a pair of games at UTEP in El Paso, Texas Friday and Saturday. To view the live stream on C-USA.tv, fans will have to pay a subscription fee of $6.95 for a 24-hour pass.
Quick Hits
- The Miners stranded two batters in four of seven innings Friday. The Rebel pitching staff allowed 15 baserunners but held the Miners to a .222 average with runners in scoring position.
- The Rebels came up clutch with two outs in the inning. Ole Miss batted .636 with two outs in the game, with seven of Ole Miss' eight runs coming with a pair of outs.
- Four Rebels registered multiple hits, including Elantra Cox, Dylinn Stancil, Brittany Finney and Autumn Gillespie.
- Cox did a little bit of everything, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
- Finney pounded the ball all day, going 2-for-3 with a double and a home run for a 2.000 slugging percentage on the day.
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lee, Kaitlin (14-8)
L: McKechnie, Kira (9-8)
S: Borgen, Anna (1)
Batting:
2B: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Horton, Kaylee 1 ; Finney, Brittany 1 ; McKinney, Paige 1
HR: Finney, Brittany 1
RBI: Cox, Elantra 2 ; Horton, Kaylee 1 ; Finney, Brittany 2 ; McKinney, Paige 1 ; Castro, Bry 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Stancil, Dylinn 1 ; Finney, Brittany 1 ; Gillespie, Autumn 1 ; Schneider, Alex 2 ; McKinney, Paige 1 ; Castro, Bry 1
SB: Cox, Elantra 1 ; Stancil, Dylinn 1 ; Schneider, Alex 1 ; Castro, Bry 1
CS: Horton, Kaylee 1
PO: McKinney, Paige 1
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Batting:
2B: Ryder, Kaitlin 1
3B: Clayton, Courtney 1
RBI: Clayton, Courtney 1 ; Ryder, Kaitlin 1 ; Duffield, Kacey 1 ; Sargent, Taylor 1
SH: Blair, Ariel 1 ; McKechnie, Kira 1
SF: Ryder, Kaitlin 1 ; Duffield, Kacey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Valles, Ariana 1 ; Clayton, Courtney 2 ; Ryder, Kaitlin 1
HBP: McKechnie, Kira 1
