The Ole Miss softball team will travel to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs in its final three-game series before the SEC Tournament.
After taking two of three games from the No. 9 Tennessee Lady Volunteers last weekend, the Rebels improved to 36-13 on the season and No. 8 in the latest Softball America poll.
The first two games against the Vols were decided by the hot-hitting Rebel offense, but the third game was a different story. On Sunday, the Rebels and Vols went back and forth in a pitchers’ duel. Despite Rebel pitchers Molly Jacobsen and Brittany Finney having exceptional outings in the circle, they were not able to keep the Vols at bay.
Now, the Rebels are looking to bounce back against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs, currently 36-16 on the season, are coming into this weekend fresh off a series win against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
During their first matchup, the Bulldogs dropped a 3-2 decision in 11 innings to the Gamecocks, the longest game for the Bulldogs since 2012. Despite Lauren Mathis working her magic in the circle, tossing a complete game, the Bulldogs struggled to string hits together.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs and Gamecocks went into extra innings for the second game in a row. The Bulldog offense hit three home runs throughout the day to clench the 6-4 victory. The Bulldogs were able to keep their momentum going into the final matchup and came out on top, with a final score of 3-2.
As a team, the Bulldogs have hit an impressive 70 home runs this season. The squad is led by Alyssa DiCarlo, who is hitting .396 on the season with 54 RBIs. The senior from Arizona is ranked second in the SEC with 21 long balls.
The Rebels will look to offensive stars Kylan Becker and Abbey Latham to match DiCarlo’s production at the plate.
Becker, a senior from Miami, leads the Rebel squad with a .424 batting average on the season, ranked second in the SEC. Latham, a sophomore from Alabama, is batting .333 and has 42 RBIs on the season.
In addition to talent at the plate, both Rebels have been very aggressive on the base paths this season. With 27 stolen bases, Becker is ranked third in the SEC, and Latham is tied for seventh with 16 stolen bags.
The first matchup between the Rebels and the Bulldogs begins Friday at 5 p.m. The two remaining games of the series will be played at 5 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium.
