Ole Miss slugger Madi George
Ole Miss softball was Tiger bait Sunday after noon, as Auburn run-ruled the Rebels 13-3 in four and a half innings.
The Tigers exploded for 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth to erase a 3-2 Ole Miss lead on senior day at Auburn. Auburn knocked Ole Miss starter Emilee Boyer from the game in the inning, had no issues with reliever Kya Aycock and ultimately roughed up Lilly Whitten, the pitcher who ultimately recorded the final out of the stanza.
Ole Miss dropped to 30-22 overall and to 4-17 inside the SEC. Auburn improved to 25-24 and also to 4-17 in the conference. Ole Miss won the series after defeating Auburn on Friday and Saturday.
BOX SCORE | https://olemisssports.com/sports/softball/stats/2026/auburn/boxscore/14763
Auburn quickly took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Ole Miss responded with a three-run top of the second to take a 3-2 lead. Second baseman Mackenzie Pickens started things off for the Rebels when she delivered a two-run single to tie the game 2-2. Freshman right fielder Madi George, who looked perfectly fine after leaving Saturday’s game with an apparent injury issue, put the Rebels ahead 3-2 with an RBI-single to center field to score Pickens, who had moved to second base.
Then came Auburn’s ridiculous bottom of the fourth, which marked the first time this season the Tigers were able to run-rule an SEC opponent.
WHAT NOW?
Ole Miss has exactly three games remaining before the start of the postseason. Those three games are against Mississippi State in Oxford next weekend. Despite this team’s struggles, the Rebels appear to be in a good spot for an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The team’s RPI was No. 20 heading into Sunday’s game.
The question is whether or not the pitching staff is A.) good enough and B.) deep enough. All we’ve been seeing of late are three arms…Emilee Boyer, Kyra Aycock and Lilly Whitten. Those are the three arms responsible for the disastrous fourth inning on Sunday against an Auburn team that frankly isn’t as good as what the postseason holds.
365’s THOUGHTS
The Rebels entered Sunday with a chance to sweep, and instead put forth an effort that led to being run-ruled in conference play. It was hard to watch and even more difficult to digest. But…this is life in the most powerful conference in college softball…In a league where owning a 4-17 record still puts you in the Top 20 in the RPI formula.
It doesn’t feel or look like it, but Ole Miss will once again be in the NCAA Tournament.