Teammates greet Natalie Martinez at home plate after hitting a home run in Ole Miss’ 5-4 win over Samford. (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
Ole Miss opened the 2017 softball season this weekend with three wins and a loss at the Easton Invitational. In impressive fashion, the Rebels held their opponents to a combined total of two runs and posted 17 themselves. With a good mix of experienced players and fresh faces, Ole Miss softball fans have reason to be excited.
Loyola Marymount was first up for the Rebels on Friday night. Junior Kaitlin Lee, getting her first Division 1 start, held the Lions to just one hit on 68 pitches. Kylan Becker went hard in the third inning, and big hits from Elantra Cox and Miranda Strother helped push the Rebels to a 2-0 victory.
Later that night, Ole Miss was set to play Cal State Fullerton, the tournament hosts, but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
On Saturday, the Rebels finished Pacific University off in a brief 9-0 victory. Showing their offensive prowess yet again, Cox and Becker combined for four hits on the day, while Strother drove in two RBIs. Left-handed pitcher Alyssa Clayton allowed just five hits and stranded eight Pacific runners on base. The game was called after five innings, and the Rebels improved to 2-0 on the weekend.
Later that day, North Dakota State took the field in what would prove to be the Rebels’ toughest matchup. Kaitlin Lee headed back to the mound and faced off against the Bisons’ Jacquelyn Sertic for a pitching duel. The Rebels mustered a single hit against Sertic, while North Dakota State managed five. Once all was said and done, head coach Mike Smith and his team were handed a tough 1-0 loss after the Bison broke through in the seventh.
Sunday afternoon held a rematch against Loyola Marymount, and the Rebels quickly bounced back from Saturday’s loss, putting up eight runs on the Lions while conceding just one. Alyssa Gonzalez, a freshman from Chino, California, had a huge day at the plate with three RBIs off two hits. Gonzalez, a first baseman by trade, played the role of designated player, similar to that of a designated hitter, for the Rebs. Morgan Bruce pitched for six innings before being replaced by Elisha Jahnke.
Overall, the Rebels should return to Oxford satisfied but hungry for improvement. Offensively, Strother looks primed for a massive season and will look to continue her hitting streak next week during the Rawlings Classic. Defensively, the Rebels have a developing weapon in Kaitlin Lee. A junior transfer from Gulf Coast Community College, the pitcher was named an NJCAA Division II All-American last season with a 0.84 ERA and a surprisingly efficient 0.369 batting average.
Next up, the Rebels face Oklahoma at 2 p.m. Friday and Houston at 7 p.m. in Houston.
