Mississippi’s Allison Brown (14) hits the ball during a game last season. (File Photo: Thomas Graning)
Rebels fall 6-3 at No. 16 Arizona State
TEMPE, Ariz. – Junior pitcher/first baseman Madi Osias hit a two-run shot to create a one-run game in the sixth, but the Sun Devils responded with a three-run inning of their own as Ole Miss (1-2) fell to No. 16 Arizona State (3-1) by a score of 6-3 Friday night at the Kajikawa Classic.
A pair of long balls provided the runs for the Rebels as freshman in-fielder Alex Schneider hit her first collegiate home run in the seventh inning.
Osias (1-2) suffered the loss for the Rebels, allowing six runs – four of them earned – on five hits with six walks and three strikeouts. Osias pitched 5.1 innings in the game.
Freshman pitcher Breanna Macha (2-0) picked up the win for Arizona State, allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts through 7.0 innings of work.
“I felt like we battled with them after getting down to a good hitting team on a couple of pitches,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. “After that tough inning, Madi (Osias) really settled down and really pitched a good ball game. Tip your cap to Arizona State’s pitcher for that performance as a freshman – to mix up her pitches the way she was and keeping us off balance. But we kept battling and adjusting inning by inning and were able to make it a game there at the end.”
Ole Miss beats Fresno State 4-0
Sophomore pitcher Emily Gaitan pitched the Rebels’ first shutout of the season, holding things in check until the bats came alive in the sixth inning as Ole Miss defeated Fresno State by a score of 4-0 in the first of two games on Saturday at the Kajikawa Classic.
Gaitan (1-0) allowed three walks and struck out five while holding the Bulldogs to four hits on the afternoon to pick up the win.
Junior pitcher Jill Compton (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs – three of them earned – on four hits with a walk and nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
Ole Miss loses to UC Santa Barbara 3-2
Osias (1-3) and the Rebels couldn’t close things out against UC Santa Barbara in the final game of Saturday afternoon as the Gauchos used a two-out, two-run home run in the seventh inning to pick up a 3-2 win over the Rebels.
Osias entered the game in relief of starter senior pitcher Lauren Lindsey, working the final 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout in her time in the circle.
Sophomore pitcher Ashley Ludlow (1-0) picked up the win for the Gauchos, allowing the two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Freshman out-fielder Elantra Cox got things started for the Rebels against the Gauchos, drawing a leadoff walk in the first. She immediately stole second and took third on a throwing error as the throw sailed on the catcher trying to gun her down on the steal. Cox then came home on a ground ball to short from senior third baseman/short stop Allison Brown to put the Rebels on top 1-0.
Rebels down Western Michigan 4-3
Tempe, Ariz. – Sophomore out-fielder Miranda Strother came up big for the Rebels Sunday, driving in a pair of runs – including the game-winner with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh – as Ole Miss (3-3) defeated Western Michigan (1-5) by a score of 4-3 to close out the Kajikawa Classic.
Strother went 3-for-4 on the afternoon with the two RBI to lead the Rebel offense, while Osias and junior catcher/out-fielder Natalie Martinez also added solo home runs on the way to the win.
Osias (2-3) picked up the win, allowing one run on one hit with four walks and seven strikeouts through 4.1 innings of work against the Broncos.
Sophomore pitcher Erin Binkowski (1-2) took the loss for Western Michigan, allowing four runs on 10 hits with a walk and four strikeouts in the game.
“We made it closer than it could have been, but you have to credit the battle from Western Michigan,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. “We squandered some opportunities we had to take the lead out to more than it was today. It seems to be our mantra to this point of the season, but we fought through some adversity and got the key hits we needed to in the bottom of the seventh inning. We would have been happier leaving here undefeated or 5-1, but I’m excited about where the program is going.”
