The Ole Miss Softball team traveled to Boca Raton, Fla., Feb. 6-8 to begin the 2025 season, playing in the Paradise Classic hosted by Florida Atlantic University.
It was a weekend to remember for the Lady Rebels as they went 4-1.
Clemson
Game one against No. 25 Clemson presented an immediate challenge for Ole Miss. It was a pitchers’ duel with the only runs for both teams coming from the long ball.
The Tigers took a quick lead in the second inning with a two-run home run. However, the Rebels responded two innings later with a home run of their own. Freshman Persy Llamas made her collegiate debut with a pinch hit three-run homer in the fourth inning.
The rest of the game was uneventful, leading to a 3-2 victory for the Rebels in their first game of the season.
FAU
Game two of the invitational was played later that day against host FAU.
The game was an extra innings grudge match in which the two teams exchanged blows late. The Eagles took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of back-to-back fielder’s choices. There was not much action in the game until Rebel shortstop Angelina DeLeon hit a home run to tie it at two apiece in the fourth.
In the eighth inning, freshman Llamas earned her fourth RBI of the day with a single to center field to put the Rebels up by one. The Eagles’ bats came to life in the bottom of the eighth leading to three RBI singles to put the game away.
The Rebels fell to 1-1 on the season with the loss, but quickly regrouped for their next three games.
Wisconsin
The next morning, they tallied 10 hits in a dominant 7-1 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. Junior Taylor Malvin was the player of the game, going 3-3 and scoring two runs.
Missouri State
The Rebels played another double header on Friday.
They played their next game immediately after Wisconsin against Missouri State. Ole Miss stayed hot offensively, earning a 9-1 run-rule victory over the Bears.
A three-run homer from senior designated hitter Taylor Roman got the Rebels going on offense in the first inning and they never looked back.
Kansas
For their final game of the Paradise Classic, Ole Miss faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks. Aliyah Binford had an impressive game on Saturday: She hit two triples, collected two RBIs and also earned the save on the mound in the Rebel’s 5-3 victory over Kansas.
The Lady Rebels now look to prepare for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg, Miss. First pitch will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. ESPN+ will broadcast the game.
