UM photo by Robert Jordan.
Rebels First SEC Sweep Since 2008
OXFORD, Miss. – Junior Brittany Broome went 3-for-4 at the plate and knocked in the game-winning run in the seventh to propel Ole Miss to a 3-2 victory over South Carolina on Sunday. The win gave Ole Miss its first SEC sweep since 2008 and the Rebels ended the year on a season-best five game winning streak.
With the score tied at two, freshman Dallas Hardin slapped a single to left center to lead off the bottom of the seventh and moved to second on a passed ball. Catcher Marina Parra laid down a sac bunt that moved Hardin to third with one out and pinch hitter Kelly Chandler earned a full-count walk to put runners on first and second. Broome then slapped the second pitch she saw between third and short to send Hardin racing home with the game-winning run. Broome finished the game with a career-high three singles, an RBI and a run scored.
South Carolina (23-32, 3-25 SEC) took a 1-0 lead in the first after leadoff hitter Samie Garcia singled up the middle and later scored on third baseman Evan Childs’ RBI single.
Freshman shortstop Allison Brown tied the game at one in the bottom of the first with a solo home run to left. It was Brown’s fifth homer of the season and she extended her Ole Miss freshman record with her 36th RBI of the year.
Garcia started the South Carolina third with a single up the middle and later stole second. Centerfielder Lauren Lackey followed with a bloop single over second baseman Corrine Doornberg’s head. Both runners moved into scoring position on a sac bunt, but Kendall Bruning retired the next two batters easily to end the threat.
Neither team would score for the next four innings until Gamecock second baseman Dana Hathorn broke the tie in the top of the sixth with a leadoff, solo home run to left that put South Carolina up 2-1.
Ole Miss (22-32, 7-21 SEC) tied the game again after Broome started the bottom of the sixth with a single to left and moved to second on an Allison Brown sac bunt. First baseman Londen Ladner then roped a single to center and Broome motored around third to score.
Senior Kendall Bruning (15-17) earned the complete-game win after giving up two runs, both earned, on nine hits in seven innings of work.