Kennedy Bunker leads off the game with solo home run to right field Friday in Knoxville.
Emilee Boyer sewed together a masterpiece Friday evening in rainy Rocky Top, as Ole Miss won its first game in SEC action this season with a 2-1 victory over the 4th-ranked Tennessee Vols. The Tennessee series represents the fourth consecutive SEC series to start the season versus opponents ranked inside the national top five at the time of the meetings (Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and now Tennessee).
The victory improved the Rebels to 22-14 overall and to 1-9 in conference action. Tennessee fell to 29-4 and to 6-4 in the SEC. The game marked the first time in 18 years Ole Miss has won versus Tennessee in Knoxville. It was also the first loss the Lady Vols suffered in Knoxville this season.
Tennessee, though, didn’t go down without a fight. The Lady Vols put runners at first and second with just one out in their half of the bottom-of-the seventh. But Boyer rallied to strike out UT slugger Gabby Leach swinging. Then she got Emma Clarke to fly out to center to end the game.
Boyer allowed just three hits in a seven-inning complete game,. walking seven and striking out three. She refused to let her bases on balls haunt her, as she continued to battle out of jambs with runners on base. Tennessee went 0-for-16 with ducks on the pond.
The Rebels got the scoring going early when catcher and leadoff hitter Kennedy Bunker took a Sage Mardjetko offering and deposited it over the right field wall to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead.
Tennessee managed to tie the game 1-1 when Clarke singled in a run to knot things up 1-1.
Ole Miss moved back ahead for good Izzy Rettiger crossed the plate on a wild pitch charged to Mardjetko.
Rebels first baseman Persy Llamas was the game’s only multi-hit hitter, going 2-fort-3.
Ole Miss will attempt to win the series on Saturday when the two teams meet again at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network+.