Rebels keep rolling with win over Penguins
Published 12:01 pm Thursday, March 10, 2016
Ole Miss softball’s Mike Smith reached the 50-win mark as the Rebels’ head coach, leading his squad to a 9-2 victory over Youngstown State Wednesday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Sophomore pitcher Elisha Jahnke improved to 4-0 on the year going four innings with two runs allowed in the start, while freshman Krista Jacobs and sophomore Kayla Landwehrmier combined to close the door, allowing just a combined two hits with four strikeouts over the final three frames.
The Rebel offense posted 11 hits, their ninth time this season reaching double-digit hit figures, and did not strikeout at the plate, the second time this season accomplishing the feat.
Freshman Ashton Lampton went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish with one RBI, while freshman Hailey Lunderman and sophomore Elantra Cox both finished 2-for-3. Cox tied her career high with three runs scored, while Lunderman drove in two runs in the victory.
Ole Miss (20-3) wasted no time striking at the plate, pushing home five runs in the first inning after Youngstown State (7-10) struck early with a run of their own.
Cox got the game going with a chopper single over the head of the third baseman, before Lampton’s double into the right-center field gap scored one to tie it up, 1-1. After Lunderman reached on an infield single, she and Lampton converted the double steal to make it 2-1 Rebels. Dakota Matiko drove in her lone run of the night off an RBI single to shortstop, before Haley Culley’s RBI single to right field scored Matiko and Paige McKinney.
The Rebels continue their 16-game homestand this weekend with SEC opening weekend vs. Missouri. Ole Miss and Mizzou are scheduled for first pitch at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and a 1 p.m. first pitch in Sunday’s series finale.