The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
10-6
Missouri State
5-9
Softball Sweeps Day One Of Ole Miss Classic
3/3/2023 | Softball
Rebels Win 10th Consecutive Home Opener
OXFORD, Miss. – Playing in front of its home crowd for the first time this season, Ole Miss softball swept both games on day one of the Ole Miss Classic on Friday. The Rebels (11-6, 0-0 SEC) earned a 5-2 win over Missouri State and capped off the day with an 8-0 victory over Mount St. Mary's.
The wins marked Ole Miss' 10th consecutive home opener victory as well as the Rebels' 56th and 57th straight non-conference regular season wins at home.
GAME ONE: OLE MISS 5, MISSOURI STATE 2
After allowing a pair of early runs in the first inning, Brooke Vestal settled in, going on to toss seven complete innings as Ole Miss won its home opener over Missouri State 5-2. Super seniors Tate Whitley, Mikayla Allee and Mya Stevenson had big days at the plate, all finishing with multiple hits. They also combined for eight of the Rebels' 12 hits.
The Bears threatened immediately, putting two runners in scoring position after a leadoff single and double with no outs. Ole Miss allowed the Missouri State to trade in both runners for outs, settling on a fielder's choice and catching a runner stealing.
It wasn't until the third inning that the Rebel offense broke through. Whitley got things started with a base hit to left, and Stevenson changed the game with one swing, hitting her first home run in Oxford and her seventh of the season.
Ole Miss added two more the following inning to take control of the game. With two outs and Savana Sikes on base, Jalia Lassiter laid down a bunt and was called out on the play. After review, the play was overturned and called a foul ball. Lassiter took full advantage of the opportunity and roped her third triple of the year off the wall in center field to break the tie. With the lineup turned over to the top of the order, Whitley slapped a single through the left side to drive in the fourth run of the game.
The Rebels tacked on another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of the top of the order. Whitley notched her third hit of the day with a single up the middle. Allee followed with an RBI double, registering her second straight three-hit contest.
Vestal cruised the rest of the ball game, only allowing three hits the rest of the way. She finished the day with a five-hit, five-strikeout performance in seven innings.
GAME TWO: OLE MISS 8, MOUNT ST. MARY'S 0
Makenna Kliethermes' 13-strikeout gem highlighted game two of the day as Ole Miss picked up its third shutout of the season with an 8-0 victory over Mount St. Mary's in six innings. Paige Smith had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs.
The Rebels grabbed the lead in the bottom of the second and never looked back. Three consecutive singles to start the inning from Sikes, Smith and Natalie Ray helped Ole Miss score the first run of the game. The Rebs took advantage of a Mountaineer error to plate a second run before stranding two in the frame.
Smith doubled the score in the third with her first home run of the season to make it 4-0 in favor of the Rebels. Ole Miss tacked on two more runs on a sac fly by Allee in the fourth and an RBI single from Lexie Brady in the fifth.
Kliethermes was practically unhittable, recording 10 of 12 outs via strikeout to start the game. She only allowed one hit in five innings of work before passing the baton off to Grace Sparks in the sixth. The Mountaineers threatened, loading the bases with two singles and an error, but Sparks and the defense held strong to escape the inning unscathed.
With two away in the bottom of the sixth and two runners on, Ole Miss brought the run rule into effect with a walk-off base hit. Smith singled back up the middle, and the speedy Lassiter and Nyomi Jones rounded the bases to win it for the Rebels.
Ole Miss is back in action for day two of the Ole Miss Classic on March 4. The Rebels are set to take on Missouri State and SEMO and 3:30 and 6 p.m. CT, respectively.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vestal, Brooke (3-0)
L: Gracie Johnston (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Kenzie Derryberry 1 ; McKayla Carney 1
RBI: Olivia Krehbiel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Abby Ford 1 ; Kenzie Derryberry 1
CS: Abby Ford 1 ; Olivia Krehbiel 1
Batting:
2B: Allee, Mikayla 1
3B: Lassiter, Jalia 1
HR: Stevenson, Mya 1
RBI: Whitley, Tate 1 ; Allee, Mikayla 1 ; Stevenson, Mya 2 ; Lassiter, Jalia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitley, Tate 2 ; Stevenson, Mya 1 ; Sikes, Savana 1 ; Lassiter, Jalia 1
