by HONOLULU – Ole Miss softball run-ruled its early opponent St. Mary’s, 10-2, and came from behind in dramatic fashion defeating Hawaii, 6-5 Saturday afternoon, winning the 2016 Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Stadium.
The Rebels got solid pitching from senior Madi Osias in game one, who went five innings with just two runs allowed, and got offensive help from senior Natalie Martinez who had a 4-for-4 day with four RBI, junior catcher Courtney Syrett, who launched a 2-run blast, and junior Raven Campos, who walked off with the 2-run shot to left-center.
In game two, the Rebels took an early 2-0 lead, but Hawaii responded with four runs of its own clinging to a 4-2 lead. However, a late surge and rally from the Rebels ultimately earned them the victory and the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic Championship. See below for full recaps from each game.
Martinez Named MVP; Clayton, Lunderman, Schneider on All-Tournament Team
Martinez hit .500 on the week to open the 2016 season and drove in seven runs off seven hits. She legged out two doubles and finished with a slugging percentage of .643 on the week earning the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic MVP award.
Lunderman (Choctaw/Lakota) was named to the all-tournament team after finishing as Ole Miss’ second-leading hitter at .444 with six runs scored in five contests. Alex Schneider’s efforts late in the championship game, and offensive success throughout the week with a .400 average, one home run and five RBI also placed her on the all-tournament team. Junior college transfer pitcher Alyssa Clayton earned her spot on the team after going 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched.
2016 Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic All-Tournament Team
Katie Moss, St. Mary’s
Katie Kelley, UMKC
Alyssa Clayton, Ole Miss
Nicole Lopez,Hawai’i
Heather Morales, Hawai’i
Hailey Lunderman, Ole Miss
Sarah Muzik, Hawai’i
Monika Reichardt, St. Mary’s
Alex Schneider, Ole Miss
Bailey Lotz, St. Mary’s
Most Valuable Player: Natalie Martinez, Ole Miss
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Kanani Aina Cabrales, Hawai’i
Game One – Ole Miss 10, St. Mary’s 2 (6)
The Rebels ended a strong performance in dramatic fashion, run-ruling the Gaels in six innings in game one on the day.
Both sides traded scoring early, as St. Mary’s took advantage of an early triple and wild pitch, while Martinez punched an RBI single through the middle to even the contest at 1-1 through one.
The Rebels got the bats going for good in the third, batting through the lineup. Freshman Kylan Becker got it started with a dribbler to first before Hailey Lunderman shot a hard single through the middle. After she was out at second on a fielders choice, Martinez drove Becker and Strother home on a 2-RBI single up the middle making it a 3-1 game.
Sophomore Paige McKinney kept it going when she stole second, then took home on a double steal increasing the advantage to 4-1. That setup Syrett’s 2-run blast to left-center field capping the 5-run frame.
The Rebels added another insurance run in the fourth when Strother drove Lunderman home on a sacrifice fly, but the Gaels got it back in the next half off a solo shot to left field.
With a comfortable 7-2 advantage, sophomore JUCO transfer Elisha Jahnke made her Division I debut in strong fashion, getting two strikeouts to start, before inducing a groundout to third to cap a clean frame.
The next half inning Strother punched a two out single to left and advanced on a bobble by the left fielder, before scoring on Martinez’s bloop single just inside the right field line. That set the table for JUCO transfer Raven Campos, who blasted a 2-run home run to left-center field giving the Rebels the walk-off, run rule victory to advance to the Paradise Classic Championship game.
Game Two – Ole Miss 6, Hawaii 5 (8)
Sophomore first baseman Alex Schneider had the game-changing play in the seventh, belting a 3-run home run to left field to tie the game at 5-5, forcing extra innings.
Lunderman got the seventh started, and after Strother was hit by a pitch, it was Schneider’s no-doubt home run to left field that gave the Rebels new life against the tournament host Rainbow Wahine.
Hawaii got the potential game-winning run to third in the home half of the seventh, but sophomore Kayla Landwehrmier shut down the attack and got a swinging strikeout, sending the game to international tiebreaker rules.
Haley Culley began the eighth on second, and Dakota Matiko did her job, placing a perfect sacrifice bunt pushing Culley to third. That’s when freshman Ashton Lampton was called on, and she delivered, roping an RBI single up the middle scoring the go-ahead run.
After the Rebels stranded one, Hawaii too moved its runner on second to third off a sacrifice bunt. But, she couldn’t get home as Landwehrmier shut Hawaii down with a groundout back to the pitcher and a fly out to deep center field capping the dramatic come-from-behind effort by the Rebels.
