Ole Miss Sports
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ole Miss softball battled in what turned out to be a back-and-forth day offensively, but the effort came up short as South Carolina took the final game of the series, 7-5, Sunday at Carolina Stadium at Beckham Field.
The two teams posted a combined 22 hits on the day, as neither starting pitcher lasted a full three innings. After the Gamecocks (32-12, 5-10 SEC) chased Rebel starter Kayla Landwehrmier before she could record an out, Ole Miss showed fight plating five in the third to reset the table.
Landwehrmier, who was dominant in a 67-pitch effort Saturday versus the Gamecocks, got the start again Sunday, but South Carolina plated three runs off two home runs in the first bringing in early relief by way of Madi Osias.
Osias went four frames in relief work and gave up five hits, three earned runs, and walked four getting the loss, while Elisha Jahnke limited the Gamecocks to just three hits and one unearned run.
After South Carolina took what looked to be a comfortable lead, Ole Miss threatened in the second when the Rebels put runners on the corners, But, Grayce Majam was called out at second stealing on a very close play that stranded two of the Rebels’ eight runners on the day.
But, in the next opportunity at the plate, Ole Miss exploded for five runs, the seventh time this season plating five or more in a frame, to go up 5-4 thwarting the early momentum.
(Courtesy: olemisssports.com | Josh McCoy)
Ashton Lampton hits the ball during a game this season against Tennessee-Martin.
Elantra Cox led it off with an infield single, before Hailey Lunderman reached on a sacrifice bunt and throwing error. After a fielders choice that resulted in Cox being out at the third base bag, Ashton Lampton roped a 2-RBI double into right center making it a 4-2 contest. Alex Schneider then drove in her lone run on the day after an infield RBI single, before Dakota Matiko drilled another 2-RBI double in the same spot as Lampton, pushing the Rebels in front 5-4.
The Gamecocks responded in the bottom half after a sacrifice fly scored the tying run, but Osias worked out of a potential jam getting a strikeout and groundout to limit the damage.
From there, the Gamecocks went on to post single runs in the fourth and fifth off a sacrifice fly and error, in what would be the final tally on the day.
Matiko led the offensive effort, tying her career high with a 3-for-3 day driving in two. Schneider went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Cox also finished 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot. Lampton was responsible for two of the Rebels’ runs off her 2-RBI double, while Lunderman, Becker and Sarah Van Schaik all added one hit each.
