KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In the final game of its first SEC road series, No. 23 Ole Miss outhit the No. 19 Vols, but were edged out, 4-1, Sunday afternoon at Lee Stadium.
Hitting in key situations came back to bite the Rebels (22-9, 0-6 SEC) as they stranded five runners in scoring position, and seven overall. Junior RHP Kaitlin Lee was again efficient in her second start of the weekend, not allowing a Tennessee hit until the third.
In her 12th start of the season, she worked six full innings allowing only two runs off just two hits. She exited the game in the sixth and re-entered in that same frame, and gave Ole Miss a chance throughout shutting down the Vols time after time.
But, the Rebels couldn’t capitalize on putting two in scoring position in the first, one in the third, and a bases loaded situation in the fifth.
In the first, Kaylee Horton punched a double over the head of the left fielder starting an early opportunity at the plate, before Miranda Strother singled through the side side. After she stole second, a strikeout ended the early threat.
Lee worked around a hit by pitch in the first, and a pair of walks in the second to keep the Vols off the board as they stranded three through two.
Ashton Lampton started the third with a hard-fought, 10-pitch at-bat, where she eventually singled to left. After Elantra Cox reached on a fielders’ choice, she stole second and moved to third on a groundout from Horton. Strother was then hit by a pitch putting runners at the corners with two down, as the Rebels chased Tennessee’s starter Matty Moss. Saturday’s starter, Caylan Arnold, then entered in relief and worked the final out as the Rebels again stranded another in scoring position.
Lee headed into the third with no hits allowed and worked two quick outs, before a double off the wall in right, and an RBI single scored the first run putting the Vols on top 1-0. Courtney Syrett helped end the frame as she cut down Brooke Vines trying to steal.
After a clean fourth on both sides, the Rebels again put pressure on in the fifth when Kylan Becker reached on a leadoff walk and moved up on a passed ball. Lampton moved her over on a sacrifice bunt, and Cox followed with a strikeout, but reached on the pitch that was wild and in the dirt. Horton rolled a ground ball to second for the second out, and Strother was intentionally walked setting up a bases loaded situation, but another strikeout thwarted any threat keeping Ole Miss off the board.
Lee again retired Tennessee in order in the fifth, and Ole Miss also went down 1-2-3 in the sixth. From there, with the game still in reach, Lee began the sixth with a quick groundout to first, before the Rebels decided to intentionally walk Meghan Gregg. Alyssa Clayton then took over in the circle and immediately issued a walk, before giving up a 3-run shot to straightaway center pushing the Vols’ lead to 4-0. Lee then came back in to pitch and got a groundout back to her and strikeout ending the frame.
Ole Miss showed life in the seventh when Becker led it off with a single through the left side. Cox stepped in with one out and delivered a double to left that scored Becker, but tried to stretch into a triple before she was called out at third on what appeared to be a bobble from the Tennessee third baseman. Quickly, the rally was eliminated and the Rebels were down to their last out as Horton popped up ending it.
Five different Rebels tallied a hit as Cox and Horton both had a double, and Strother, Becker and Lampton all added one each.
Ole Miss returns to action Wednesday with a midweek tilt at 5 p.m. at Jacksonville State.
Quick Hits
- Junior OF Elantra Cox stole her 20th base of the season, and is now just five steals away from tying the Ole Miss school record (75).
- Senior Miranda Strother extended her hit streak to four games after her single in the first.
- Ole Miss had a different starting lineup in all three games against Tennessee, and have gone nine-straight contests with a different starting nine.
