Softball Wins Series at No. 8 Arkansas - Ole Miss Athletics - Hotty ...
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After a five-hour weather delay, Ole Miss softball shocked No. 8 Arkansas, 4-3, to take the series Saturday night at Bogle Park.
The rubber match, slated to start at 3 p.m. CT, was delayed over five hours as rain and lightning forced both teams to wait a little longer to settle the series. After the weather passed, the Rebels (30-24, 7-17 SEC) battled to take their second straight series victory in conference play and their second series over a top-10 team this season (at No. 2 LSU, March 16-18).
It also marked Ole Miss' ninth consecutive 30-win season (excluding 2020), dating back to 2015. Further, head coach Jamie Trachsel has tallied at least 30 wins in all but one season of her 14-year career.
Senior Paige Smith made her 257th career start in an Ole Miss uniform, passing former teammate Mikayla Allee for the most starts and games played as a Rebel. The Corona, California native has played in every game since stepping on campus in 2020.
Ole Miss once again scored early and used a strong pitching performance from Grace Sparks to take down the Razorbacks. Jalia Lassiter logged her 19th multi-hit game of the season at the top of the order. Angelina DeLeon, Delaney Rummell, Lexie Brady and Smith all recorded extra-base hits in the victory.
Just after 8:05 p.m. local time, Lassiter and Jaden Pone led off the game with back-to-back singles, wasting no time in putting the pressure on Arkansas. A sacrifice moved both runners 60 feet closer, and with two outs, the hot-hitting DeLeon belted a double in the gap to give Ole Miss the lead right out of the gate. However, the Razorbacks answered in the bottom half to even the score at 2-2.
Sparks settled into rhythm in the second, retiring the side in order and worked around a two-out walk in the third to keep things tied through three.
The Rebels broke the tie in the fourth. Arkansas turned to the bullpen to begin the frame, bringing in its ace, who quickly set down the first two batters. With two outs, Lexie Brady worked the count full and won an eight-pitch at-bat with a walk. Delaney Rummell followed with a clutch piece of two-out hitting, roping an RBI double down the line as Brady sprinted around the bases for the go-ahead run.
Arkansas threatened with two on and one out in the bottom of the fifth. In a jam, Ole Miss brought in Brianna Lopez to pitch. The lefty needed only three pitches to get a massive strikeout of Razorback slugger Bri Ellis, and Ryan Starr made an outstanding dive and glove flip to second for the final out of the inning.
Looking for insurance, Smith smacked the 43rd double of her career, the most in program history, to lead off the inning. Taylor Malvin came on to pinch run at second, stole a base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Aynslie Furbush to make it 4-2.
The insurance run proved massive as a solo home run brought the Razorbacks back within one. Unbothered, Lopez set down the next five batters to cap off the victory and help Ole Miss take the series.
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.
