Mississippi senior Allison Brown bats during the softball game between Mississippi and Georgia Friday April 10 (DM Photo | Kayla Beatty)
The Rebels swept their doubleheader against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Wednesday night. Ole Miss claimed game one by a score of 7-0 before taking game two with a 3-1 victory.
Sophomore outfielder Miranda Strother was a main offensive source Rebels in the series. In each game, she contributed a two-run home run. She also hit her second triple of the season early in game two. She hit four RBIs in total during the day, including driving in the go-ahead run in game two to clinch the sweep.
Junior pitcher Madi Osias led Ole Miss on the mound for a complete shut-out first game and five scoreless innings in the second game. She had four strikeouts and only allowed one walk. Osias also showed timely hitting, batting in the tying run in the second game. Ole Miss went on to win 3-1.
Freshman right-fielder Elantra Cox was another key player of the series with the Golden Eagles. Her ESPN top-ten-worthy diving catch in game two helped to stifle Southern Miss’s junior first baseman Sarah Evans. Cox’s stellar defensive play and clutch RBI’s helped lead the Rebels to victory in both games.
The Rebels are now 25-19 on the season. The two wins against Southern Miss have built up momentum leading into this weekend’s series against Louisville. In order to keep the ball rolling, Ole Miss will need to pick up the pace at the plate and continue to get runners on base early on.
Being the first one on the scoreboard is key for the Rebels’ mentally. Ole Miss is 3-14 on the season when their opponent scores first and 22-5 when they cross the plate first.
Louisville is similar in this fashion. Overall, they are 36-21 on the year thus far. When the Cardinals trail early on, they are only 3-15. When they are leading, they’re 26-2. When they are tied, they’re 7-4.
The player to watch for the Cardinals is sophomore right-hander Maryssa Becker who was named Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week after tossing a pair of complete-game shutouts and earning the win in the Cardinals’ 1-0 upset of No. 8/10 Florida State.
Ole Miss will return to action this Friday, hosting the Cardinals in a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
