HATTIESBURG — Junior Brittany Finney went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and junior Kylan Becker went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI Wednesday to lead the Ole Miss softball team to a 5-1 victory against Southern Mississippi.
Ole Miss (18-14) improved to 8-0 this season when Becker drives in a run.
The victory helped Ole Miss get revenge for a loss to Southern Miss (14-27) earlier in the season.
Freshman Ava Tillmann (2-1) pitched a complete-game four-hitter. She struck out five.
The Rebels utilized their speed to open scoring in the third inning. Elantra Cox led off the inning with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on Paige McKinney’s ground out. Jessica Puk laid down a perfect squeeze bunt as Cox slid home to make it 1-0.
Ole Miss missed an opportunity to add to its lead in the fifth when Brittany Finney led off with a double but failed to advance past second base.
However, the Rebels didn’t miss their chance in the following frame. After Kaylee Horton drew a one-out walk, Becker slapped a ball up the middle and flew to second for a double, putting a pair in scoring position.
After Celeste Wood struck out it looked as though the Rebels With two outs, Autumn Gillespie walked to load the bases to set the stage for Finney, who punched a two-run single through the left side.
The Golden Eagles pulled a run closer in the bottom half on a home run by former Rebel Sarah Van Schaik. However, Ole Miss went back to work in the seventh to add to the lead again. Cox reached via an error to start the frame and McKinney followed with a bunt single. Both runners moved up on a throwing error. Puk brought Cox home with a sacrifice fly before Becker tagged a ball to center for a single and Horton raced home.
Tillmann retired the side in order as McKinney made a diving grab on a soft liner up the middle and tossed to Finney at first to double up the runner for the third out.
Van Schaik went 2-for-3. Ciarra Cherry and Alyssa Davis had the other two hits for Southern Miss.
Samantha Robles went the distance for the fifth time this season. The senior allowed five runs, three runs earned, and struck out two.
Ole Miss will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a three-game series at LSU. Game 1 will be Friday. All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network +.
Southern Miss will play host to Alabama-Birmingham in a three-game, Conference USA series this weekend. The teams will meet for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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