The Ole Miss softball team will join the party in the ‘Sip this weekend, as the Rebels gear up for the home series against the Auburn Tigers this upcoming weekend, April 23-26.
The Rebels will look to keep their grit and game rolling after winning the last two series against in-conference opponents. Last weekend, the team showed its toughness in the series against Texas A&M, as the Rebels won the first two games in the series by one point. The series win was a huge confidence booster for the team as it was their first series win in program history against Texas A&M and their first road series win of the 2021 season.
Ole Miss finished the weekend with two wins and one loss. The Friday game ended with a close score of 2-1 for the Rebels, while Game Two ended in a 3-1 score, giving the Rebels confidence for the last game of the series. However, the Rebels lost the series finale 4-3.
The story of the weekend came from the team as a whole, as the Rebel squad is more and more looking like they have found their identity in the ballpark. Sophomore Paige Smith is looking to be in the swing of things as she recorded two doubles in Friday’s game that helped Rebel base runners to score. Smith had only two doubles before the game’s first pitch. Senior Anna Borgen was also monumental to the team’s success in Texas, allowing only one run against her opponent in both the Friday and Saturday wins. Borgen has won six consecutive games for the team and continues to look as sharp as ever on the mound.
An under-the-radar player to watch for the remainder of SEC play is senior Jessica Puk. In Saturday’s game, the Iowa-native hit two sacrifice flies to the outfield that allowed the team to score and secure the victory against the Aggies. Puk is tied for second in the nation with sacrifice hits and is an essential component to this Rebel team, with their eyes on the horizon as postseason play is coming up.
The team is focused on continuing their success this weekend, as they welcome SEC foe Auburn to Oxford for an in-conference showdown. The first pitch for the series is at 5:00 p.m on Friday and can be viewed throughout the entire weekend on SEC Network+.
