Ole Miss shortstop Cassie Reasner
Ole Miss star first baseman Persy Llamas shined brightest with the game on the line Monday in the Rebels’ home opener versus Miami (Ohio). Llamas stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning to deliver a walk-off, one-out double to right center scoring McKenzie Pickens and lifting Ole Miss to a 4-3 victory.
The win pushed Ole Miss to 7-4 on the young season. Miami (Ohio) dropped to 5-3.
PERSY LLAMAS’ WALK-OFF DOUBLE https://x.com/OleMissSoftball/status/2023504096825930116
Kyra Aycock (4-1) worked the final 1.1 innings of relief to pick up the win in the circle. Aycock came on in the sixth of middle reliever Lilly Whitten. Emilee Boyer drew the start. All three Rebel pitchers are first year transfer with Aycock coming from Oklahoma State, Whitten from Missouri and Boyer from West Texas A&M.
Ole Miss drew first blood in the contest when Rachel Conner drove in two in the bottom of the second with a single down the right field line that plated teammates Cassie Reasner and Madi George.
Miami (Ohio) would turn around and tie the game in the top of the third with a deuce.
Both teams scored runs in the sixth to keep the game knotted at 3-3. Grace Thompson recorded an RBI on a fielder’s choice for the Rebels.
Ole Miss out-hit Miami (Ohio) 10-6. The RedHawks were charged with two errors, while Ole Miss played clean in the field.
George and Conners each had multiple hits for Ole Miss, going 3-for-3 at the plate. Laylonna Aplin finished 2-for-3.
As for Boyer’s first start at home, she pitched four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits without recording a walk or strikeout. Whitten allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of middle relief.
NEXT UP
Ole Miss will now turn its attention toward the Green and Gold Classic in Birmingham, Ala. The Rebels will meet Mercer, Southern Illinois and Missouri State at the tourney. Ole Miss will battle Missouri State twice.