The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
28-22, 7-13
Florida
33-16, 9-11
Barnard and Smith Power Softball Past No. 14 Florida, 7-2
4/29/2023 | Softball
Rebels Set Up Sunday Rubber Match
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Brooke Barnard and Paige Smith came up clutch, powering Ole Miss softball past No. 14 Florida 7-2 to even the series Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Rebels (28-22, 7-13 SEC) utilized two big offensive innings to top the Gators (33-16, 9-11 SEC) and held their ground on defense, stranding 12 Florida runners on base. Barnard registered her first-career multi-hit game, clearing the bases to drive in the go-ahead runs with an RBI triple in the fifth, and Smith delivered the dagger in the seventh with a three-run home run, her ninth of the season. Catelyn Riley earned her sixth victory of the season, tossing 6.1 innings and only allowing one run.
Riley and the Rebel defense held strong early as Florida threatened early on. A pair of Gator base hits in the second were erased by an inning-ending double play, as Savana Sikes fielded the high hop, stepped on the bag at third and fired the ball over to first base. The following inning, Florida loaded to bases with two outs, but Riley won an 11-pitch at-bat with a tapper back to the circle.
The Gators did however get on the board first, scoring one run on three hits. Aynslie Furbush took over in the circle with two outs and the bases loaded but kept Florida from adding to its lead.
Looking to answer in the top of the fifth, Ole Miss took advantage of three free passes to load the bases and force a pitching change. With one out, Barnard emptied the bases, tripling past the right fielder to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead.
Florida managed to get one back in the home half of the inning on a solo home run, but that was all as Riley reentered the game and held onto the lead. The Gators threatened again the following inning, nearly scoring the tying run on a single past the outstretched glove of Keila Kamoku, but she recovered and threw out the runner at the plate.
Ole Miss got some insurance and a little more in the top of the seventh. Barnard recorded her second hit of the afternoon, turning the lineup over, and Tate Whitley followed with an infield single. Sikes stepped to the plate with an opportunity to add to the lead and delivered. The senior drove an RBI double into left to tack on an insurance run.
But the Rebels weren't done yet. Smith cranked a three-run home run off the roof of Florida's pitching building to add an exclamation point and make it a 7-2 game.
Needing just three more outs, Riley went back out to the circle to close things out. Florida didn't go away without a fight as the first two batters of the inning reached, but Riley battled back to get a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Sikes snared a line drive for the second out of the inning, and a ground ball to Kamoku ended it as Ole Miss evened the series.
The rubber match between the Rebels and Gators is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.
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 @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Riley, Catelyn (6-4)
L: Elizabeth Hightower (14-10)
Batting:
2B: Sikes, Savana 1
3B: Barnard, Brooke 1
HR: Smith, Paige 1
RBI: Sikes, Savana 1 ; Smith, Paige 3 ; Barnard, Brooke 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitley, Tate 1 ; Sikes, Savana 1 ; Smith, Paige 1 ; Allee, Mikayla 1 ; Lassiter, Jalia 1 ; Malvin, Taylor 1 ; Barnard, Brooke 1
HBP: Sikes, Savana 1 ; Allee, Mikayla 1 ; Furbush, Aynslie 1
PO: Barnard, Brooke 1
Batting:
2B: Skylar Wallace 1 ; Avery Goelz 1
HR: Emily Wilkie 1
RBI: Emily Wilkie 1 ; Kendra Falby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Emily Wilkie 1 ; Sarah Longley 1
SB: Kendra Falby 1
HBP: Reagan Walsh 1 ; Emily Wilkie 1
