Ole Miss Softball was swept by No. 13 Texas A&M over from Friday, April 10 to Sunday, April 12 at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. All three games were close, but the Rebels could not squeeze out a victory.
Game one
Despite making a strong push at a comeback, the Rebels lost 10-6 to open the series.
Starting pitcher Kyra Aycock struggled against the Aggies offense early. She gave up back-to-back singles and threw non-competitive pitches. After allowing three runs and not recording an out, Lilly Whitten came in to relieve her.
Whitten struggled to throw strikes and the Rebel’s defense was stagnant in the top of the first inning, unable to deter the Aggies.
Texas A&M took advantage of walks and scored six runs in the first. In the second, the Aggies walked twice before a home run to make it 9-0.
Left fielder Laylonna Applin reached second on an error by the Aggie shortstop and Rebel shortstop Cassie Reasner scored on the play.
Applin scored on center fielder Taylor Malvin’s double to left field to make it 9-2. In the third, right fielder Madi George hit her 12th home run of the season to right field.
Applin hit her first SEC home run off the scoreboard to make it 9-4. George launched a 2-run homer to right field to get Ole Miss within four in the fifth, but neither team could add on from there.
Game two
Ole Miss dropped game two 7-5. The Rebels went down in the first, but Reasner tied things up with a home in the second.
Ole Miss ran into trouble in the top of the third inning. Starting pitcher Emilee Boyer’s control began to slip and she struggled to locate pitches.
Texas A&M capitalized on their scoring opportunities with an RBI single and a 3-run homer to go up 5-1.
Catcher Kennedy Bunker hit her seventh home run of the season in the third and reenergized the Rebels in the bottom of the third.
Ole Miss scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie it up at 5-5. Second baseman Mackenzie Pickens doubled to left-center and scored third baseman Ryan Starr. First baseman Persy Llamas hit a missile 2-run home run to right field.
Texas A&M responded with two runs off a Reasner error in the fifth inning to regain the lead, 7-5.
Game three
The Rebels were unable to make a comeback against the Aggies on Sunday and fell 10-9.
Texas A&M took the lead in the second with an RBI single off Aycock. Designated hitter Rachel Connors answered with a homer to left field in the second.
The Aggies reclaimed the lead with a grand slam in the fourth. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-1.
The Rebels put up five runs in the bottom half. Malvin singled to score Applin and advance Starr to third. Pickens hit a 2-run single to make 7-4. Llamas got the biggest hit of the inning with a 2-run homer.
A 3-run homer from Texas A&M designated hitter Micaela Wark extended their lead once again 10-6.
Bunker responded with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to score Applin, then Starr scored on a wild pitch.
Whitten threw a shutout inning for the Rebels in the seventh inning, which kept the score at 10-8.
Cassidy Patterson scored her first run of the series off Tenly Grisham’s sacrifice fly to get within one, but Applin and Starr struck out to end the game.
What’s next?
Ole Miss beat North Alabama at home on Tuesday, April 14 7-3. They travel to Baton Rouge, La., from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19 to take on No. 15 LSU. SEC Network+ will broadcast the game.
