by OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss plated nine runs in the third inning, the most in a single frame all season, paving the way for a 9-5 victory over No. 13 Missouri in the series finale vs. the Tigers Sunday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
After suffering a 2-0 loss in the first game of the doubleheader, the Rebels (21-5, 1-2 SEC) responded in a huge way pounding out 12 hits, claiming the first win over the Tigers in program history. The win also marked the first for the Rebels over a ranked opponent since March 21, 2015 in a 14-8 victory over No. 24 Mississippi State.
Elantra Cox had a big day at the plate with six hits to lead the offense. As a team the Rebels put together 19 combined hits over the two contests.
See below for full recaps from both games on Sunday.
Game One – No. 13 Missouri 2, Ole Miss 0
Sophomore Elisha Jahnke pitched a her second complete game in the circle for the Rebels in game one and did well, allowing just one earned run and just two hits.
As a team Ole Miss out-hit the Tigers, 7-2, but an error and sacrifice fly made the difference in game two of the series.
Ole Miss had an early chance in the first inning after loading the bases, but left them stranded as the two sides played two scoreless innings to begin the day.
Missouri struck first in its half of the third when Chloe Rathburn reached on a throwing error at short sending home the first run.
Ole Miss again had a shot in the fifth to make something happen, but stranded Kylan Becker and Cox who previously reached on singles, keeping the contest at 1-0 in favor of Missouri.
The Tigers went on to add the final run in the sixth off a sacrifice fly from Rathburn, capping scoring for the game. The Rebels again got two on in its last chance in the sixth, but stranded them both to end game two of the series.
Cox led the way going 3-for-4 at the plate, while Becker added two hits. Hailey Lunderman (Choctaw/Lakota) and Miranda Strother both added one hit each, while Jahnke was unfortunately tagged with the loss despite allowing just two hits and one earned run.
Game Two – Ole Miss 9, No. 13 Missouri 5
Game two saw a much different outcome, as the Rebels capitalized on their chances at the plate, stringing together an eight hit, nine-run third inning that made the difference in the finale.
Missouri took what looked to be a confident lead in the top half of the first when Sami Fagan homered to left-center field giving the Tigers a 3-0 advantage.
The Rebels had a chance at responding in their first chance at the plate, but stranded two after a single from Strother and walk fromAshton Lampton.
After the two sides exchanged scoreless frames in the second, the Rebels got the inning it needed in the third sending 13 batters to the plate.
Cox started off a string of three-straight singles, hers back to the pitcher, before Hailey Lunderman singled up the middle and Strother got an RBI single back to the shortstop. After Lampton walked, all the runners moved up a base on a Tori Finucane wild pitch scoring Lunderman.Grayce Majam kept the frame alive with a two-RBI single back up the middle, before Alex Schneider’s bunt single back to the pitcher scored pinch runner Bry Castro. Another wild pitch scored Majam, before Cox’s single to center scored Schneider. Lunderman followed with her second single of the inning, this one a shot to right center that plated Becker, before Strother capped scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The explosive frame for the Rebel offense was the biggest for the team this season, and the most runs scored in an inning for Ole Miss since scoring nine vs. Alcorn State on April 21, 2015.
Missouri went on to add two solo home runs in the fifth, but Jahnke’s 2.1 innings of relief work kept the Tigers in check with just two hits allowed and no runs.
Senior Madi Osias kept her win streak alive in the circle, earning the win to improve to 11-1 on the season, extending her school record for consecutive wins (10).
Cox again led the way for the offense from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 at the dish with two runs and one RBI, while Lunderman, Strother, Majam and Schneider each added two hits.
Next Up
The Rebels return to the Ole Miss Softball Complex for two midweek games, first up vs. Central Arkansas Tuesday at 6 p.m., before closing the 16-game homestand Wednesday vs. ULM at 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
