The Rebels took care of business Wednesday as the Ole Miss softball team swept the doubleheader against Southern Miss at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
The Rebels dominated the Golden Eagles in game one where Ole Miss was able to total six runs, 11 hits and no errors while holding their opponent scoreless.
Sophomore outfielder Miranda Strother quickly established the pace of the day in game one by hitting a home run in the 1st inning. The two-run shot was Strother’s fourth homer of the season. Dishing out the first punch helped Ole Miss build their momentum that continued to carry them throughout the rest of the doubleheader.
Shortly after, the Lady Rebs added four more runs in the 2nd inning. Ole Miss loaded the bases just in time for freshman left-fielder Elantra Cox to step up to the plate and provide a two-RBI single that set the Rebels lead to 4-0. Junior Natalie Martinez quickly followed with two more RBI’s that added to make it 6-0 Ole Miss.
With bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 6th, Cox hit an infield single that got her out at first, but still allowed Ole Miss’ seventh run.
Junior pitcher Madi Osias led the Rebels on the mound for all seven innings in the game one shut out and came in to relieve senior Lauren Lindsey after two innings in game two.
The tide turned in game two as the Golden Eagles came out fighting in the first inning. Freshman outfielder Samantha Reynolds led off the game with a double. Two batters later, junior second baseman Morgan McKeever hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Reynolds to make it 1-0 Southern Miss.
The Golden Eagles found their momentum offensively in game two as they totaled eight hits. The Rebels struggled at the plate early on and had only one hit from Strother until the bottom of the 5th.
Although they struggled to score in game two, the Rebels played impressive defense that held the Golden Eagles to just one run scored despite their outstanding offensive play.
In the bottom of the 5th, Ole Miss was able to pick up the pace. Freshman shortstop Grayce Majam had a double that was excellently placed in deep right field. Pitcher Madi Osias immediately followed with a hard hit ball that bounced over the shortstop’s head and sent Majam home to tie up the score with two outs.
Madi Osias was lethal at the plate. In the bottom of the 6th, Osias hit another two-run bomb to send the Rebels ahead 3-1, her 5th home run of the season. The home run sealed the sweep for the Rebels.
“We were just looking to hit a fly ball, but we’ll take a home run instead. It was a great manufacturing of a couple of runs that inning,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith said. “We do a pretty good job with that. We don’t always score those runs in the first inning, but it is all about being patient and getting to that pitch when we can, and we did a great job of that in that later inning.”
“Miranda (Osias) comes to play everyday. [Miranda] has been consistent all year long. If I could have a poster child for what work ethic does, she would be right on the front because she does an outstanding job.”
Ole Miss is now over the half-way point of a 13-game home streak. Up next for the Rebels is a three-game series against Louisville beginning at 3 p.m. on April 17th.
