Auburn, Alabama -- The 13-seed Rebels kicked off the 2024 SEC Softball Tournament with a well-balanced offensive performance, earning a 7-2 win over the 12-seed Wildcats on Tuesday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
The Rebels stayed productive throughout the entire game, scoring in five of the seven frames, while the Wildcats struggled to make their way around the bases, putting up just wo runs in the third.
Jaden Pone and Paige Smith each went 2-for-4 for Ole Miss, with Smith boasting two RBI, including her solo homer in the first inning that set the tone for the victory.
In the final frame, Jalia Lassiter dug the nail in the coffin with a two-run blast over the left field fence, tacking on additional insurance runs before finalizing the win with three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh.
The Rebels displayed both preparation and patience at the plate, racking up eight hits and seven walks as a team.
Grace Sparks tossed 4.2 innings and earned the win while Brianna Lopez closed things out. Lopez faced seven batters, without allowing a single hit or walk while striking out four.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats totaled just three hits and three walks. They utilized four pitchers throughout the game. Stephanie Schoonover bared the loss with three innings pitched. Kentucky's pitching staff allowed eight hits, six earned runs, and seven walks while striking out six.
The contest marked just their second meeting in the SEC Tournament following Kentucky's five-inning, 8-0 run-rule of Ole Miss in 2019. The two teams entered this game with a clean slate on the year as they did not face each other during the 2024 regular season.
Kentucky continued an unforunate SEC Tournament streak with the decision -- its third tournament-opening loss in just as many seasons.
13-seed Ole Miss opens SEC tourney with win over 12-seed Kentucky - Southeastern Conference (secsports.com)
The Rebels stayed productive throughout the entire game, scoring in five of the seven frames, while the Wildcats struggled to make their way around the bases, putting up just wo runs in the third.
Jaden Pone and Paige Smith each went 2-for-4 for Ole Miss, with Smith boasting two RBI, including her solo homer in the first inning that set the tone for the victory.
In the final frame, Jalia Lassiter dug the nail in the coffin with a two-run blast over the left field fence, tacking on additional insurance runs before finalizing the win with three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh.
The Rebels displayed both preparation and patience at the plate, racking up eight hits and seven walks as a team.
Grace Sparks tossed 4.2 innings and earned the win while Brianna Lopez closed things out. Lopez faced seven batters, without allowing a single hit or walk while striking out four.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats totaled just three hits and three walks. They utilized four pitchers throughout the game. Stephanie Schoonover bared the loss with three innings pitched. Kentucky's pitching staff allowed eight hits, six earned runs, and seven walks while striking out six.
The contest marked just their second meeting in the SEC Tournament following Kentucky's five-inning, 8-0 run-rule of Ole Miss in 2019. The two teams entered this game with a clean slate on the year as they did not face each other during the 2024 regular season.
Kentucky continued an unforunate SEC Tournament streak with the decision -- its third tournament-opening loss in just as many seasons.
13-seed Ole Miss opens SEC tourney with win over 12-seed Kentucky - Southeastern Conference (secsports.com)
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