The Ole Miss Rebels shut out the Memphis Tigers 9-0 in a six-inning beatdown on Tuesday, March 5, in Memphis.
Regardless of their mediocre 3-2 showing in the Ole Miss Classic last weekend, the Rebels entered this game against Memphis with momentum off a win against the UAB Blazers.
Memphis has not shown much promise as a solid competitor this season. The Tigers are 3-15 on the season, almost the exact opposite of the Rebels’ 15-5 record.
Ole Miss struck early with a two-run homer from first baseman Paige Smith. The Rebels also walked five times in the first two innings. They also had three stolen bases, closing an all-around dominant first couple of innings.
Unfortunately, the Rebels started to struggle with Memphis’ bats, as they started the bottom of the second inning with a hit and walk with no outs. It progressed to loaded bases with only one out, causing panic for the Rebels.
Luckily, Ole Miss was able to get out of the inning with no runs. Right-handed pitcher Catelyn Riley managed to escape the inning with a strikeout and a ground out to third base.
The Rebels added to the score gap in the third inning with a sacrifice fly from Riley to center field. This allowed catcher Jamie Mckay to score from second base.
After three scoreless innings from the Tigers, Ole Miss led 5-0. Smith continued this scoring streak, as she hit her second home run of the game.
With an error and a hit-by-pitch, two Rebels got on base with two outs, hoping for a rally. However, this was cut short with the final out following soon after.
Eventually, Ole Miss raised its lead to 6-0, putting the team only two runs away from drawing a run rule that would end the game early. Riley dominated the circle, as she had less than 50 pitches in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Rebels scored once again in the fifth inning, extending the gap. Ole Miss had a lot of energy throughout the game, too, as they were consistently getting on base and scoring.
Finally, Rebel coaches wanted to give Riley a break, so they brought in left-handed pitcher Brianna Lopez. She got out of the inning, allowing only one runner on base.
Dominance on the plate and from the batter’s box allowed Ole Miss to crush Memphis from all angles.
What’s next?
This midweek win is huge for Ole Miss, as it provides momentum for the start of SEC play this weekend versus in-state rival Mississippi State in Nusz Park from March 8-10. The opening game will be Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m. CT.
