No. 22 Rebels Pound Lions In 10-3 Victory

Senior Courtney Syrett had a career day with four RBI off a pair of doubles, and sophomore Ashton Lampton added three RBI off two extra-base hits to lead No. 22 Ole Miss softball past Southeastern Louisiana, 10-3, Wednesday afternoon.
The Rebels (21-3) chased the Lions’ (9-15) starting pitcher after just one inning, and ultimately took advantage of six walks, while spraying 11 hits throughout the afternoon to claim the win. For Ole Miss, freshman Morgan Bruce went five innings with just two earned runs allowed, earning the win improving to 7-0.
Offensively, the Rebels once again piled on runs early on and often, plating nine in the first three frames thanks to a single run in the first, three in the second, and a 5-run third. It marked the 14th time this season Ole Miss has scored five runs in an inning, and second game in a row.
Syrett was one of the key difference makers at the plate, tallying two, 2-RBI doubles in key situations, totaling four RBI off a 4-for-4 night, all of which set new career highs for the senior catcher. Lampton tied her career high in hits with three after posting three RBI – all of a bases-clearing triple – and also had a double and single in the win.
Sarah Van Schaik finished with the lone home run in the game, a solo blast that came in the sixth as a pinch hitter, while Kylan Becker and Alyssa Gonzalez also added an RBI each.
But, the Rebels weren’t the first to have the lead, as Southeastern Louisiana used its sixth-ranked (nationally) stolen base threat to put pressure on early with three steals taking a 1-0 lead off an RBI single. Ole Miss responded though, as junior Elantra Cox led off with a single up the middle before stealing second. She came home to score on an RBI single to left from Gonzalez, tying the game up at 1-1.
An inning later, Brittany Finney and Kaylee Horton both reached via walk, chasing SELA’s starter, Lacey Hill. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Syrett doubled to left center, putting Ole Miss back on top, 3-1. She would eventually score off a textbook bunt from Becker, good enough for an RBI, making the score 4-1 at the end of two.
The Lions fought right back though, scoring two more in the third after a leadoff error resulted in a sacrifice fly and RBI single, cutting the advantage back to 4-3.
But, staying true to the flow of the game, the Rebels responded, this time in a big way. Dylinn Stancil got the rally going reaching off a hit by pitch, before Finney walked. After a fielders’ choice resulted in the lead out at third, Syrett cleared the bases off a double to center field, pushing the Rebels back in front, 6-3. Cox then reached on an infield single, and Becker advanced on an error, before Lampton scored everybody with her triple down the right field line, increasing the advantage to 9-3.
From there, the scoring settled down for the midway portion of the contest as both side stranded two runners each in the fourth and fifth.
Van Schaik’s solo shot to left-center field in the sixth – her first of the season – pushed the lead to 10-3, capping the scoring on the night.
Both teams finished with three steals each, as Cox, Miranda Strother, and Bry Castro all stole once. Cox finished 2-for-5 extending her hit streak to 17 games, and also scored a pair of runs.
Alyssa Clayton worked the final two frames in the circle and gave up just two hits while striking out one.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports