A strong scoring surge in the sixth inning pushed the Rebels past the Wildcats in a hard-fought 7-6 win. The Friday night victory at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky marked the second victory over a top 10 opponent for Ole Miss this season.
The Rebels (29-9, 5-5 SEC) picked up their third straight win with the help of senior Tate Whitley who led the team with a batting average of .448, including four POs on the defensive end.
After the Rebels climbed to the early 1-0 lead in the second inning, the Wildcats picked up momentum on their end, taking a commanding 4-1 lead late into the fourth inning.
The tide turned for Ole Miss at the top of the fifth inning, as junior Paige Smith broke the Rebels’ scoring drought with their first run since the second inning, assisted by freshman Catelyn Riley on a single up the middle.
This eventually broke the game open for the Rebels on a cold wet night in Kentucky. Senior Sydney Gutierrez and freshman KK Esparza hit back-to-back runs to tie the game at four in the fifth. The Rebels kept their foot on the gas, adding three more runs to secure the road victory.
Ole Miss closed out the series on Sunday with a double header at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. CT due to a weather cancellation on Saturday. The Rebels eventually fell to the No. 8 Wildcats, 2-6 and 2-8. Ole Miss will be back at home April 14-16 to take on the Florida Gators.
