Ole Miss surprises top-seeded Florida
For Starkville Daily News
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the first time in the 20-year Southeastern Conference Softball Tournament history the No. 1 seed will not advance past its first game.
No. 8 seed Ole Miss beat No. 1 seed Florida 2-0 in the quarterfinals, breaking a 29.2 inning scoring drought against the Gators in the process.
The last time the Rebels scored against Florida was in the 7th inning of a 4-2 loss on April 10, 2016. With the win, the Rebels break a nine-game losing streak dating back to March 7, 2014 and notched just their second win in the last 21 games against the Gators.
“We stuck to the game plan (Thursday),” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Smith. “We came in and we knew exactly what we wanted to do and I’m so proud of this team. I said it (Wednesday), man this team is resilient. They fight. It doesn’t matter who is across there.”
Rebels pitcher Kaitlin Lee (18-10) threw her second complete game in as many days, only allowing two hits by the Gators. Lee has thrown 204 pitches in just under 27 hours in the Rebels’ first two games of the tournament.
“It’s ecstatic playing behind somebody that knows that they are going to pitch their lights out no matter what,” said Ole Miss junior Elantra Cox. “It just feels amazing to know that there is somebody in the circle that trusts herself and trusts us on defense.”
Ole Miss’ lone scoring play came off an uncharacteristic error by the Gators in the first inning. Third baseman Aleshia Ocasio bobbled the ball attempting to scoop a Kylan Becker grounder. With Elantra Cox in scoring position, Delanie Gourley retired the next two batters before Ole Miss freshman Dylinn Stancil hit a two-run double to right field.
Ole Miss plays No. 5 seed Alabama in the semifinals today. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPNU.
Alabama 2, Texas A&M 1
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama softball saw an early 1-0 lead erased by Texas A&M in the bottom of the seventh, forcing the teams to battle for 10 innings with a solo home run by Bailey Hemphill ultimately providing the difference in the Crimson Tide’s victory at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Alabama (42-15) held Texas A&M (42-10) hitless through seven innings before a solo home run by Tori Vidales tied it in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. After two more scoreless innings, Hemphill blasted a two-strike pitch over the fence in center field to give the Tide a 2-1 lead, which ultimately proved final. The 10-inning game is tied for the longest game in SEC Tournament history by innings.
Alexis Osorio (21-7) was masterful in the circle for Alabama, throwing a career-high 10 innings while limiting the SEC’s leading power team to just one run on two hits along with an SEC Tournament single-game record 15 strikeouts.
Auburn 2, Kentucky 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 2 seed Auburn eliminated No. 7 seed Kentucky from the Southeastern Conference Softball Tournament, shutting out the Wildcats, sending the Tigers to the semifinals for the third consecutive year.
Kendall Veach accounted for the only scoring play in the contest, launching a two-run home run over the right-center wall in the bottom of the sixth inning. This was Veach’s 12th home run this season, tied for third most in the SEC.