The University of Mississippi Athletics
Monday, March 11
Oxford, Miss.
6 PM
Ole Miss
16-7, 2-1
6
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#14 Arkansas
19-5, 1-2
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7
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Arkansas
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Ole Miss
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6
5
1
Softball Downs No. 14 Arkansas, Claims SEC-Opening Series
3/11/2019 | Softball
Box Score<i class="icon-stats"></i> Box Score (PDF)<i class="icon-video"></i> Highlights<i class="icon-camera"></i> Photos
Superb Work in the Circle from Jacobsen and Finney Leads Rebels to 6-2 Victory
OXFORD, Miss. – For the first time since 2012, Ole Miss (16-7, 2-1 SEC) has started SEC play with a series win after handing No. 14 Arkansas (19-5, 1-2 SEC) a 6-2 defeat Monday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
The victory came thanks in large part to an excellent showing by the tandem of Molly Jacobsen and Brittany Finney in the circle, holding the Razorbacks without a single earned run. Jacobsen earned the win after throwing 4.1 innings in the start, allowing a pair of unearned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Finney came on in relief and retired all seven batters she faced, plus one extra, in 2.2 frames.
After Jacobsen and Arkansas starter Autumn Storms traded three up, three down innings in the first, the Rebels got to work in the second. Autumn Gillespie got the inning started, reaching on an error, and Amanda Roth followed with a walk. After both runners advanced on a passed ball, Kaylee Horton slapped a single up the middle, bringing both runners home to put the Rebs up after two complete.
Ole Miss tacked on two more in the third to extend its lead to four. Following an infield single from Kylan Becker, Abbey Latham ripped a single through the right side, moving up to second on the throw as Becker hustled to third. Becker was brought home on Jessica Puk's sacrifice fly and Latham came home during the next at-bat on a throwing error.
Taking advantage of a Rebel error on the leadoff, the Razorbacks cut the deficit in half with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth. The damage could have been much greater, but Jacobsen was able to strand the bases loaded with a nasty off-speed pitch, inducing a swinging strike three to close the frame.
Finney got one of those runs right back for the Rebels in loud fashion, taking the first offering from Storms cannoning over the center field wall for a solo shot, her team-high sixth of the year.
The Razorbacks threatened to do more damage in the fifth, touching Jacobsen for a one-out single and a walk. Head coach Mike Smith made the call to the bullpen to bring in Finney and the move paid off as the senior rolled a ground ball for a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.
The top of the order teamed up to restore the four-run cushion for the Rebels in the bottom half of the fifth, as Kylan Becker walked on four pitches and Abbey Latham brought her all the way around with a double off the wall in center.
After Finney breezed through the sixth, Becker erased any thoughts of budding momentum for Arkansas in the final frame, leaping high against the wall in center to rob Taylor Greene of a home run. During the next at-bat, Finney caught Linnie Malkin looking to clinch the series for Ole Miss.
The Rebels resume action on Wednesday, hosting nearby rivals Memphis for a 6 p.m. midweek at the Ole Miss Softball Complex before welcoming Oklahoma State and Samford for a pair of games each this weekend in Oxford.
Quick Hits
• The series victory is the first in the SEC opener for the Rebels since sweeping a doubleheader at Arkansas in 2012.
• Autumn Gillespie finished the series 3-for-7 (.429) with four runs scored and a pair of RBIs, while Abbey Latham registered a base knock in half of her eight at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in one more.
• Finney's homer was her second of the series, taking sole-possession of the team-lead and with six for the season and finishing the series with a 1.125 slugging percentage.
• Kaylee Horton drove in a team-high seven runs for the series, posting a .333 average.
• Molly Jacobsen concluded her first SEC series without allowing a single earned run in 9.1 innings of work, striking out 13 batters along the way.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole MissSoftball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Fans can also follow head coach Mike Smith on Twitter at @msmithsb16.
The victory came thanks in large part to an excellent showing by the tandem of Molly Jacobsen and Brittany Finney in the circle, holding the Razorbacks without a single earned run. Jacobsen earned the win after throwing 4.1 innings in the start, allowing a pair of unearned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Finney came on in relief and retired all seven batters she faced, plus one extra, in 2.2 frames.
After Jacobsen and Arkansas starter Autumn Storms traded three up, three down innings in the first, the Rebels got to work in the second. Autumn Gillespie got the inning started, reaching on an error, and Amanda Roth followed with a walk. After both runners advanced on a passed ball, Kaylee Horton slapped a single up the middle, bringing both runners home to put the Rebs up after two complete.
Ole Miss tacked on two more in the third to extend its lead to four. Following an infield single from Kylan Becker, Abbey Latham ripped a single through the right side, moving up to second on the throw as Becker hustled to third. Becker was brought home on Jessica Puk's sacrifice fly and Latham came home during the next at-bat on a throwing error.
Taking advantage of a Rebel error on the leadoff, the Razorbacks cut the deficit in half with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth. The damage could have been much greater, but Jacobsen was able to strand the bases loaded with a nasty off-speed pitch, inducing a swinging strike three to close the frame.
Finney got one of those runs right back for the Rebels in loud fashion, taking the first offering from Storms cannoning over the center field wall for a solo shot, her team-high sixth of the year.
The Razorbacks threatened to do more damage in the fifth, touching Jacobsen for a one-out single and a walk. Head coach Mike Smith made the call to the bullpen to bring in Finney and the move paid off as the senior rolled a ground ball for a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.
The top of the order teamed up to restore the four-run cushion for the Rebels in the bottom half of the fifth, as Kylan Becker walked on four pitches and Abbey Latham brought her all the way around with a double off the wall in center.
After Finney breezed through the sixth, Becker erased any thoughts of budding momentum for Arkansas in the final frame, leaping high against the wall in center to rob Taylor Greene of a home run. During the next at-bat, Finney caught Linnie Malkin looking to clinch the series for Ole Miss.
The Rebels resume action on Wednesday, hosting nearby rivals Memphis for a 6 p.m. midweek at the Ole Miss Softball Complex before welcoming Oklahoma State and Samford for a pair of games each this weekend in Oxford.
Quick Hits
• The series victory is the first in the SEC opener for the Rebels since sweeping a doubleheader at Arkansas in 2012.
• Autumn Gillespie finished the series 3-for-7 (.429) with four runs scored and a pair of RBIs, while Abbey Latham registered a base knock in half of her eight at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in one more.
• Finney's homer was her second of the series, taking sole-possession of the team-lead and with six for the season and finishing the series with a 1.125 slugging percentage.
• Kaylee Horton drove in a team-high seven runs for the series, posting a .333 average.
• Molly Jacobsen concluded her first SEC series without allowing a single earned run in 9.1 innings of work, striking out 13 batters along the way.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole MissSoftball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Fans can also follow head coach Mike Smith on Twitter at @msmithsb16.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jacobsen, Molly (8-1)
L: Storms,Autumn (8-1)
S: Finney, Brittany (1)
Batting:
RBI: Diaz,Ashley 1 ; Parr,Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McEwen,Hannah 1 ; Edwards,Keely 1
HBP: Duncan,Nicole 1
Batting:
2B: Latham, Abbey 1
HR: Finney, Brittany 1
RBI: Latham, Abbey 1 ; Puk, Jessica 1 ; Horton, Kaylee 2 ; Finney, Brittany 1
SF: Puk, Jessica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Becker, Kylan 2 ; Latham, Abbey 1 ; Gillespie, Autumn 1 ; Loftin, Kelsha 1 ; Finney, Brittany 1
CS: Horton, Kaylee 1
HBP: Roth, Amanda 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballRHP/1B
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball1B/DP
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
3B
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