SEC Country: Ole Miss NCAA Softball Regional: Rebels top Arizona State, North Carolina on deck

Photo by Steven Gagliano

Ole Miss did it again, and the Rebels are just one win away from making more program history in 2017.

The Rebels knocked off Pac-12 powerhouse Arizona State by a 2-0 count on Saturday to advance to the NCAA Softball Tournament Regional title game in Oxford. A win today would put Ole Miss in the Super Regionals, softball’s version of the Sweet 16.

Ole Miss (42-18) will face North Carolina (40-22) at 1:30 p.m. (central) today after the Tar Heels came through the loser’s bracket.

North Carolina beat Southern Illinois 4-0 and then gutted out a 3-2 win over No. 22-ranked Arizona State.

Junior pitcher Kaitlin Lee has continued to dominate, allowing just three hits and shutting out the Sun Devils on Saturday for her 11th-straight complete game.

“Playing in the SEC Tournament prepared us for playing in a game like this,” Ole Miss coach Mike Smith said after the Rebels scored their program-record 42nd win of the season. “It was a huge pitching performance from Kaitlin Lee there at the end.

“I cannot say enough about Elantra Cox being our catalyst at the top with the leadoff triple.”

Cox’s triple in the top of the six inning led to the Rebels breaking what had been a scoreless tie. Kylan Becker followed Cox’s big hit with an RBI triple of her own and then scored on Miranda Strother’s double.

The Rebels won the SEC Softball Tournament in Knoxville last weekend, beating Mississippi State, Florida, Alabama and LSU.

Lee pitched complete games in all the victories, earning tourney MVP honors as Ole Miss began what has become a historic postseason.

This story was originally written by SEC Country’s (Mike Griffith). It was republished on HottyToddy.com with permission from Cox Media Group. 

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