Ole Miss Softball took on the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in hopes of claiming a series for the first time in almost three weeks. The Rebels came into the series finally back in the win column after splitting two midweek games with UT Martin on Wednesday, April 3, but the team was unable to stack any wins in this weekend series.
Game one (lost 0-4)
On Friday, April 5, Ole Miss and Alabama played their first game of the series. Things started slow, and the rest of the game was more of the same for Ole Miss.
The Lady Rebels failed to score a run in their first outing. Their sustained offensive struggles led to an easy win for the Crimson Tide.
The Rebels had five hits in this game, only one less than Alabama, who had six hits, but none of the Rebel hits could get a runner home. Alabama got more use out of its hits, punching in four runs, and that ended up making the difference in this game.
Game two (lost 1-5)
The Rebels came back to play on Saturday, April 6, hoping to move on from their offensive woes in the previous match. In actuality, though, they failed to compete for a majority of the match and gave Alabama the series-clinching win.
Ole Miss had a rough start in the first inning, as they gave up four runs, which gave the Crimson Tide an early 4-0 lead. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, Alabama scored again in the second inning, which extended its lead to 5-0 on the Rebels.
Finally, the Rebels were able to score a run in the top of the fourth inning, slightly closing the gap to 5-1. This was off of an error committed by the Crimson Tide, which allowed first baseman Paige Smith to score the Rebels’ only run.
Even though Ole Miss had the same amount of hits as Alabama at six, they struggled again to get runners home.
Game three (lost 1-5)
On Sunday, April 7, the Rebels went into their final game of the series against the Crimson Tide, trying to steal at least one game in an otherwise forgettable away series.
Like the first two games, things fell apart quickly when Ole Miss gave up a three-run home run to Alabama in the bottom of the second inning, allowing the Crimson Tide to lead 3-0 early.
The Rebels tried to rally back by getting runners on base in the top of the third inning, which gave them the opportunity to score, but they continued their series-long struggle of bringing runners home before the inning was over.
It did not help that Alabama was able to score again in the bottom of the third inning, which extended its lead to 4-0, putting the Rebels further behind.
Ole Miss once again got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI double from pinch-hitter Jamie MacKay. This late offensive effort was not enough to jumpstart the Rebel bats, however, as Alabama held fast to its lead for the remainder of game three. The Rebels ended up dropping this game, resulting in another sweep.
What’s next?
Ole Miss will travel to Ruston, La., to play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. This double-header will take place on Tuesday, April 9. The first game is set for 4 p.m CT.
