The Official Website of the Southeastern Conference
The Official Website of the Southeastern Conference
Rebel Invitational - Oxford, Mississippi

Rebels' bats stay hot to run rule St. Thomas

69 days ago
Ole Miss Athletics
Photo: Bella Wood/Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD, Miss. - Ten different Rebels recorded hits as Ole Miss softball powered its way past St. Thomas on Sunday to close out the Rebel Invitational. The win marked Ole Miss' fourth straight run-rule victory.

The Rebels (18-12, 0-0 SEC) walked off St. Thomas (7-18, 0-0 Summit League) in the bottom of the sixth inning to take both games against the Tommies and wrap up their weekend at the Rebel Invitational with a 4-1 record. Tate Whitley, Mya Stevenson and Keila Kamoku all finished with multiple hits on the day at the top of the order. Aynslie Furbush notched her seventh win of the season, allowing four hits in 4.0 innings pitched.

For the second straight day, St. Thomas struck first in the opening frame. The Tommies scratched across an unearned run, taking advantage of a Rebel miscue. However, just like the night before, Whitley singled, and Stevenson went yard to give the lead right back to Ole Miss. Before St. Thomas could get out of the inning, Kamoku added another run to make it 3-1, scoring on an RBI single from Savana Sikes.

St. Thomas threatened again in the second, loading the bases, but Furbush held strong and got a big swinging strikeout to end the inning. As Ole Miss came back to the plate in the bottom half of the inning, Annie Orman, who was making her first career start, led things off with a solo home run to make it 4-1.

Ole Miss looked to put things out of reach in the fourth inning. Singles from Paige Smith and Whitley, along with a five-pitch walk to Orman, loaded the bases with no outs. Mikayla Allee drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Stevenson added another with a base hit to left. Kamoku continued the rally, singling to left to make it 7-1, but a foul out and a fielder's choice kept Ole Miss from further extending its lead.

Brooke Vestal entered the game in the top of the fifth and worked a one-two-three inning to turn things back over to the offense. The Rebels threatened but could bring Lexie Brady or Whitley around after both reached on free passes.

The Rebels delivered the final blow in the bottom of the sixth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Angelina DeLeon led off the inning with a single to center, and Jalia Lassiter followed with one right back up the middle. Back-to-back walks to Furbush and Sikes brought in a run and inched the Rebels one away from a fourth-straight run-rule victory.

Head coach Jamie Trachsel called in Mackenzie White to pinch hit still with nobody out. The freshman delivered with a line drive over the left fielder's head, walking off the Tommies 9-1.

Up Next

Ole Miss is back in action next weekend when it hosts No. 10 LSU March 24-26.