Bri Payne is tagged out at home on Saturday / Thomas Graning
BY ALLISON SLUSHER
ajslushe@go.olemiss.edu
FRIDAY: OLE MISS 8, NO. 15 TEXAS A&M 4
The Ole Miss softball team got off to a good start on the weekend, defeating No. 15 Texas A&M, 8-4, in game one of a three-game Southeastern Conference series.
Junior pitcher Carly Hummel allowed three runs in the first inning but held the Lady Aggies to just one more run the rest of the game.
Offensively, the Lady Rebels came prepared, getting 12 hits that resulted in eight runs. Senior center fielder R.T. Cantillo hit two home runs and had three RBIs, making her the team leader in home runs this year.
“I actually was seeing the ball really well tonight,” Cantillo said of her night at the plate. “It helped a lot because I hit off the coaches twice tonight before practice, so it helped a lot.”
After Texas A&M scored three runs in the top half of the first, the Rebels answered, scoring four in the bottom of the first. From there, Hummel shut down the Aggies. Hummel gave up four runs on five hits in a complete game.
“It was a little bit of a rocky start, but I’m really proud of how Carly settled down,” head coach Windy Thees said. “I’m really proud of our defense making some really great plays all the way throughout the game.”
SATURDAY: NO. 15 TEXAS A&M 8, OLE MISS 4
The Rebels dropped the second game of the series when the Aggies came out strong offensively. Freshman Madi Osias was the starting pitcher for Ole Miss but struggled when A&M started scoring in the top of the first, putting two runs on the board.
After junior third baseman Amber Garza got on base hitting a single, freshman Cali Lanphear hit a home run to start the game with a 2-0 lead.
“I thought Madi pitched a pretty good game,” head coach Windy Thees said of the game. “We left a couple of pitches too fat, and they got a hold of them. Overall, I thought she really gutted it out and did a good job.”
The Aggies had two-time All-American Mel Dumezich, who was returning from a shoulder injury, in the circle. Dumezich pitched a complete game, giving up four runs on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts in a complete game performance.
After Texas A&M jumped in front, Ole Miss fought back and took a 3-2 lead in the second. However, the Aggies tied things up in the third and added four in the fifth and one in the sixth.
SUNDAY: NO. 15 TEXAS A&M 5, OLE MISS 1
No. 15 Texas A&M got the best of Ole Miss on senior day Sunday, winning the rubber match of the three-game set, 5-1.
Senior Erinn Jayjohn got the starting nod but was handed the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings in the contest. Texas A&M scored two runs in the second and added one in each the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Sophomore Allison Brown showed up at the plate, hitting her sixteenth double this season, a new program record, and junior first baseman Londen Ladner put the Rebels’ lone run of the game on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third.
“She’s pretty consistent. She’s just a consistent hitter,” assistant coach Mike Perniciaro said of Brown. “She comes every day to play and gives it her all, and she’s a good hitter. She does a great job, and she’s only a sophomore, so that’s great. We’ll have her for two more years.”
The Rebels will wrap up the season on Wednesday in a doubleheader against Alcorn State. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m., and the second game is set for 6 p.m. at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
