Series Rubber Match Begins at Noon CT Sunday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Rebels plated two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead, but could not bring any more runs home and lost 5-2 Saturday at No. 15 Kentucky at the UK Softball Complex in Lexington, Ky.
“We need to do a better job on the mound of finding the umpire’s strike zone, and then at the plate we need to use that same strike zone to our advantage, and we didn’t do that,” Ole Miss softball head coach Windy Thees said. “When we got down, our players pressed when we didn’t need to press. We need to stay relaxed no matter what the score is and know that we have confidence to score runs in any inning, no matter what the score is at any time. We’ll come out tomorrow and hopefully win the series.”
Senior left fielder Brittany Broome’s program-record 13-game hitting streak came to an end Saturday afternoon. Broome hit a team-high .579 during the 13-game stretch for Ole Miss, accumulating 22 hits and on-base percentage of .660.
The Rebels had two hits on the afternoon, including a two-RBI single from junior first baseman Londen Ladner.
Kentucky got on the board in the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run by Maisie Steed.
Ladner then gave the Rebels the lead two innings later with a two-RBI single to left field that brought home Haley Culley from third and RT Cantillo from second. Ladner’s two RBI give her 17 for the season. Ladner, a Brandon, Miss., native, is 3-6 against UK after the first two games, and has two doubles and three RBI.
Kentucky regained the lead in the bottom half of the third with a two-run single to left field. Kentucky then extended the lead to 5-2 one inning later with an RBI-double to the right field wall, and then an RBI-single to right field one batter later.
Junior pitcher Shelby Jo Fenter picked up the loss for the Rebels, moving her record to 5-6 on the season.
First pitch of Sunday’s rubber match between the Rebels and Wildcats is scheduled for noon CT on Sunday.O