Owen Pustell
The Ole Miss Rebels played a double header on Sunday against Southeast Missouri State and Mount St Mary’s. They lost both games, which contrasts their 4-0 record in Friday and Saturday’s games.
Game1: Southeast Missouri State 1, Ole Miss 0
Ole Miss started Tate Whitley (LF), Mikayla Allee (SS), Mya Stevenson (DP), Paige Smith (1B), Savana Sikes (3B), Natalie Ray (RF), Keila Komoku (2B), Jamie Mackay (C), Jalia Lassiter (CF) with Makenna Kliethermes starting at pitcher. Kliethermes pitched the first six innings but gave way to Aynslie Furbush for the last four batters.
The Rebels were in their alternate pink jerseys early Sunday to start the day against Southeast Missouri, who they had been playing no more than 14 hours ago.
Much like Saturday night’s game, Sunday’s affair ended with just one run as well, but for the opposite team. Not much bad can be said about the pitching performance from Kliethermes.
After allowing the game’s only run in the first inning, she would allow just three base runners the rest of the game. Despite this effort, the offense sputtered once again.
Just like Saturday’s game, the Rebels left six runners stranded including three in scoring position with favorable outs.. The offensive MVP of the early game was Ray, who was the only Rebel to register multiple hits.
The loss was the first of the weekend for Ole Miss, who had been outscoring opponents 22-2 through the weekend until this point.
Game2: Mount St Mary’s 4, Ole Miss 1
The lineup for Game 2 was Whitley (LF), Allee (SS), Stevenson (DP), Komoku (2B), Ray (RF), Lassiter (CF), Smith (1B), Lexie Brady (C), Sikes (3B) and Furbush pitching. Brooke Vestal would come in as a reliever in the seventh inning.
Furbush was not her usual self from the circle. Though she did not technically allow a run, three runners crossed the plate while she was pitching. She did additionally record five strikeouts, two walks and hit two batters.
Offensively, the team continued to struggle. The Rebels scored just once in the second inning, but vacated the scoreboard. As has been the case in the last two games, Ole Miss left seven runners stranded. That makes 19 stranded and just two runs scored in the last three games.
Brady was the game’s offensive MVP as she registered the only RBI.
Ole Miss plays Tennessee on Friday, March 10 at 4 p.m. CST on SEC Network+.
