Ole Miss pitcher Kyra Aycock
Ole Miss almost became the first softball team in program history to sweep a three-game series at Tennessee.
Almost.
Instead the Rebels had to settle for the program’s first ever series win against the Volunteers in Knoxville, as they lost a down-to-the-wire battle to the Lady Vols on Sunday by a 4-3 score.
Still, it was an amazing weekend up on Rocky Top for the surging Rebels, who won both Friday’s and Saturday’s contests against Tennessee. Ole Miss leaves Knoxville with a record of 23-15 (2-10, SEC) and perhaps a little more respect than was previously given. The game completes a strecth of the schedule in which all four of Ole Miss’ conference opponents were ranked inside the nation’s top five in at least one major poll.
BOX SCORE: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=641196
On Sunday, Tennessee claimed a 3-0 lead before lightning struck in Red and Blue in the form of freshman designated player Madi George in the top of the sixth inning. After Mackenzie Pickens and Persy Llamas reached base, George blasted a towering three-run homer off an offering from Lady Vols ace and two-time SEC pitcher of the year Karlyn Pickens to tie the game 3-3.
It would stay that way until the bottom of the seventh when, with the bases loaded and two outs, Ole Miss reliever Kyra Aycock walked home the winning run on a two-out, full count pitch. Aycock (9-7) was fantastic in 3.1 innings of relief work, as her and solid defensive play kept Ole Miss in it.
At the plate, Ole Miss managed five hits, with George leading the way with a 2-for-3 effort and all three of the Rebels runs-batted-in.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Looking at the series as a whole, you have to hand it to Ole Miss. They battled against one of the nation’s very best teams until the final pitch on Sunday. Now that the murderer’s row to the start of the conference season has ended, the hope is that this team continues to gel and keeps improving. Despite the loss on Sunday, Ole Miss earned a series win on the road in the SEC and in this league that gets an A+.
NEXT UP
The Rebels don’t return to SEC play until April 10, when Texas A&M comes to Oxford. In the meantime, there will be non-conference games in Oxford versus Memphis (March 31) and Samford (April 7) and at Central Arkansas (April 1).