(Photo by: olemisssports.com | Josh McCoy)
Ashton Lampton celebrates with teammates at home plate after a solo home run to left center Sunday afternoon against Florida.
Ole Miss softball dropped game one of its weekend series 8-0 against the Florida Gators on Friday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
The Rebels came into the game not having beaten the reigning two-time national champs in Oxford since 2007 and let the game slip away after allowing four home runs to the Gators. The Rebels finished the game with two hits, one of which came from Elantra Cox, who extended her game hit-streak to eight.
The highlight for the Rebels was Senior Night for beloved teammate, Alyssa Invergo, from Peotone, Illinois, who will graduate and forgo her last year of eligibility to begin optometry school in Memphis, Tennessee.
“It’s bittersweet, coming to an end,” Invergo said. “So many great memories. There’s really nothing like the SEC. Being able to compete and play in the best conference, it’s really great.”
Head Coach Mike Smith said Invergo has been an inspiration to the team.
“She’s a great competitor, comes with a smile on her face and works hard every day,” Smith said. “She’s one that’s going to be missed because of being such a great team player.”
Ole Miss saw participation from all three of their pitchers. Madi Osias, who needs only three wins to break the school’s single-season wins record, pitched the first four innings, and Kayla Landwehrmier and Krista Jacobs both relieved for an inning a piece.
With only one stolen base in the game and no Rebel advancing past second base, Smith was undoubtedly concerned with his team’s play.
“There was no fight in our team tonight,” Smith said. “We just need to come back with a new energy and a new focus for tomorrow.”
After the game, Smith was adamant that his team can do much better, and that he expects better.
“I don’t care who’s on the other side, whether it’s Florida, a Major League Baseball team or the USA team,” Smith said. “That’s not Ole Miss softball. We’re a team that battles. We scrap. We grind it out, and we didn’t even do that today. We just need to come back tomorrow, ready to play softball.”
Ole Miss dropped their final two games of the weekend as they fell to the Gators 6-1 Saturday and 4-2 on Sunday.
The Rebels were led on Saturday, in front of a record crowd of 1,342 people, by Kylan Becker, who recorded two hits on the Saturday. Ole Miss fell behind early in Saturday’s contest, as they surrendered two first inning runs to the Gators, and then gave up three more runs in the second inning before recording an out. The positive on the hill from Saturday’s contest is that sophomore Kayla Landwehrmier pitched six innings of relief only allowing one run.
Sunday’s contest was probably the most competitive of the weekend, but the Rebels fell 4-2.
Landwehrmier followed up her solid performance on Saturday with another good performance on Sunday afternoon, goings seven innings and only giving up two runs. The Rebels were able to cut into the Gator lead after falling behind 3-0 in the fifth with a single run, but would not be able to overcome the Gators.
Ole Miss is still in solid position to make a regional for the first time in program history. The Rebels will take on UT-Martin on Wednesday before traveling to South Carolina for a weekend series.
