March 20, 2013

Box Score

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss softball team (19-15, 1-5 Southeastern Conference) got a complete game shutout from junior pitcher Carly Hummel, and defeated visiting Samford 3-0 on a cool, blustery Wednesday evening at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

Hummel (8-8) threw all seven innings, allowing just four hits, zero walks and striking out five in the victory over the Bulldogs (9-15).

“Today I thought (Carly) threw her game very well and worked on all of her pitches … and I thought she did a very good job of mixing them up,” Ole Miss softball head coach Windy Thees said.

Ole Miss scored one run in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead and held the lead for the remainder of the game. Samford would bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but Hummel threw her fifth strikeout of the game and the Rebels got their seventh shutout victory of the season.

Freshman catcher Natalie Martinez had her first multi-hit game of the season, going 2-3 with one RBI. Defensively, Martinez threw out her fourth potential base stealer of the season with a nice throw in the fifth inning to freshman shortstop Haley Culley, who applied the tag.

Martinez and Culley were two of four freshmen to start for the Rebels in the infield Wednesday night.

“They’re talented – they’re very talented,” said Thees about her freshmen infielders Culley, Martinez, Madi Osias and Melina Preciado. “They know how to play this game; it’s just a matter of making plays. When you have a pitcher out there with a lot of confidence it helps. I think they all did a good job.”

Hummel, who has thrown five or more innings in eight of her last 11 starts, said the Rebels had a very hard practice Tuesday, and Wednesday’s win was an important one for the team.

“We came out and I think we played ready today,” Hummel said. “It was kind of difficult coming off that losing streak, especially with Missouri, they’re an awesome team. So coming out today, it was really important that we got that win.”

Culley scored the first run of the game for the Rebels in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

Martinez scored Ole Miss’ second run of the game with an RBI double to left-center in the second inning. Martinez’s double scored junior right fielder Natalie Nimmo from second base.

With two outs away in the bottom of the third, sophomore designated player Lauren Lindsey hit her fifth double of the season to the left-center gap. After freshman right fielder Bri Payne came on as a pinch runner and advanced to third on a wild pitch, Osias hit an RBI double down the left field line to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead that proved to be the final score.

Ole Miss will now turn its attention to No. 23 Georgia (22-7, 3-0 SEC) as it returns to conference action in Athens, Ga. The Rebels will face the Bulldogs in a three-game series beginning Friday at 5 p.m. CT. First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT, and Sunday’s series finale will start at 1 p.m. CT.

For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball and on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball.

Windy Thees