Ole Miss Women’s Tennis Falls Just Short at No. 23 Tennessee

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Ole Miss Women’s Tennis Falls Just Short at No. 23 Tennessee

The Ole Miss women’s tennis team dropped the doubles point on the road at No. 23 Tennessee, but battled back to tie the match at 3-3 before the Vols won the final point for a 4-3 win Sunday at the Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center.
The match came down to a third set at No. 3 singles between Zalina Khairudinova and Tennessee’s Sadie Hammond. Khairudinova won the first set 7-5, but Hammond came back and took the second 6-2. Hammond led 4-3 in the final set, before Khairudinova won two straight games to go up 5-4. Hammond won the next three games for the final 4-3 score.
The match started outdoors, but didn’t last long there, as rain forced the completion of the doubles and the singles indoors.
Tennessee struck first winning 6-4 at No. 3 doubles against Khairudinova and Tea Jandric. The Rebels answered, with Arianne Hartono and Alexa Bortles taking a 7-5 win on court one. The point came down to a tiebreaker on court two and the Tennessee duo of Sadie Hammond and Gabby Schuck outlasted Natalie Suk and Anna Vrbenska 7-6(9) for the early 1-0 lead.
The Vols went up 2-0 as 58th-ranked Brittany Lindl handed 71st-ranked Hartono a 6-3, 6-3 loss at No. 1 singles.
Jandric put the Rebels on the board as she downed Johanna Silva 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 singles.
Tennessee increased its lead to 3-1 when Eve Repic won a second set tiebreaker to finish off Suk 6-3, 7-6(1) on court two.
Two of the remaining three matches went three sets with Vrbenska coming back to top UT’s Ariadna Riley 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4 singles, to pull the Rebels within one, 3-2.
Bortles won a second set tiebreaker for a 7-5, 7-6(2) victory over Kim Kermet at No. 6 singles to tie the overall match at 3.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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No. 23 Rebels Edged by No. 19 Tennessee, 4-1

In the final game of its first SEC road series, No. 23 Ole Miss outhit the No. 19 Vols, but were edged out, 4-1, Sunday afternoon at Lee Stadium.
Hitting in key situations came back to bite the Rebels (22-9, 0-6 SEC) as they stranded five runners in scoring position, and seven overall. Junior RHP Kaitlin Lee was again efficient in her second start of the weekend, not allowing a Tennessee hit until the third.
In her 12th start of the season, she worked six full innings allowing only two runs off just two hits. She exited the game in the sixth and re-entered in that same frame, and gave Ole Miss a chance throughout shutting down the Vols time after time.
But, the Rebels couldn’t capitalize on putting two in scoring position in the first, one in the third, and a bases loaded situation in the fifth.
In the first, Kaylee Horton punched a double over the head of the left fielder starting an early opportunity at the plate, before Miranda Strother singled through the side side. After she stole second, a strikeout ended the early threat.
Lee worked around a hit by pitch in the first, and a pair of walks in the second to keep the Vols off the board as they stranded three through two.
Ashton Lampton started the third with a hard-fought, 10-pitch at-bat, where she eventually singled to left. After Elantra Cox reached on a fielders’ choice, she stole second and moved to third on a groundout from Horton. Strother was then hit by a pitch putting runners at the corners with two down, as the Rebels chased Tennessee’s starter Matty Moss. Saturday’s starter, Caylan Arnold, then entered in relief and worked the final out as the Rebels again stranded another in scoring position.
Lee headed into the third with no hits allowed and worked two quick outs, before a double off the wall in right, and an RBI single scored the first run putting the Vols on top 1-0. Courtney Syrett helped end the frame as she cut down Brooke Vines trying to steal.
After a clean fourth on both sides, the Rebels again put pressure on in the fifth when Kylan Becker reached on a leadoff walk and moved up on a passed ball. Lampton moved her over on a sacrifice bunt, and Cox followed with a strikeout, but reached on the pitch that was wild and in the dirt. Horton rolled a ground ball to second for the second out, and Strother was intentionally walked setting up a bases loaded situation, but another strikeout thwarted any threat keeping Ole Miss off the board.
Lee again retired Tennessee in order in the fifth, and Ole Miss also went down 1-2-3 in the sixth. From there, with the game still in reach, Lee began the sixth with a quick groundout to first, before the Rebels decided to intentionally walk Meghan Gregg. Alyssa Clayton then took over in the circle and immediately issued a walk, before giving up a 3-run shot to straightaway center pushing the Vols’ lead to 4-0. Lee then came back in to pitch and got a groundout back to her and strikeout ending the frame.
Ole Miss showed life in the seventh when Becker led it off with a single through the left side. Cox stepped in with one out and delivered a double to left that scored Becker, but tried to stretch into a triple before she was called out at third on what appeared to be a bobble from the Tennessee third baseman. Quickly, the rally was eliminated and the Rebels were down to their last out as Horton popped up ending it.
Five different Rebels tallied a hit as Cox and Horton both had a double, and Strother, Becker and Lampton all added one each.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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Thornberry Holds Share Of Lead At Bulls Bay

Sophomore Braden Thornberry and senior Ben Wolcott finished the opening round inside the top three to help No. 25 Ole Miss reached fourth place through 18 holes at Bulls Bay Sunday.
Thornberry rolled in six birdies and avoided bogies to post a first round score of 6-under par 66 for his 10th round in the 60s this season. The Olive Branch, Mississippi native birdied three of four 600-yard par 5s on the day and shares the lead with Keenan Huskey of South Carolina. After coming off his first career tournament victory, Ben Wolcott fired a 5-under par 67, good to tie for his career-best. Wolcott started his round with five-consecutive birdies to keep Ole Miss in contention for their fifth win of the season.
“Ben and Braden played great today,” said head coach Chris Malloy. “They really kept us in it on a day when we did not have our best stuff as a team. I am confident that we will play great the next two days and give ourselves a chance to win.”
Sophomore Josh Seiple carded four birdies and junior Kerry Sweeney added two as they both finished tied for 62nd at 3-over par 75. Senior Noah West finished 5-over 77 in the opening round.
Ole Miss posted a first round score of 5-under par 283. The Rebels trail third place No. 9 Virginia by two strokes. Georgia State leads the field at 11-under par 277.
Follow the Rebels Monday morning as they get set to tee off at 10:00 AM CST with Purdue and Auburn. For all Ole Miss Men’s golf news and information, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMGolf, on Instagram at OleMissMGolf and on Facebook at facebook.com/OleMissMGolf. Fans can also follow head coach Chris Malloy on Twitter @CoachMalloy12.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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