Ole Miss Softball Defeats Baylor 3-0 to Open the Salt Lake City Regional

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

No. 3 seed Ole Miss opened the Salt Lake City Regional with a 3-0 victory over the No. 2 seed Baylor Bears.

Ole Miss (31-26, 8-16 SEC) jumped out early on the Bears on a two-run home run off the bat of Lexie Brady. Brady’s home run brought in Savana Sikes who was on first after a hit by pitch.

The Rebels starting pitcher Catelyn Riley was dominate in the circle against Baylor and retired seven sluggers in a row after a two out hit in the first by Shalon Govan.

In the fifth, Ole Miss tacked on a run to go up 3-0 over Baylor as Paige Smith delivered a one-out triple to left center that scored Tate Whitley.

Riley kept Baylor guessing at the dish through the fifth.

Baylor got its second hit of the game in the bottom of the sixth off the bat of Ashlyn Wachendorf. The Bears loaded the bases and had the go ahead run at the plate. Riley got Sydney Collazos to pop out to short.

In the seventh, Smith continued to attack the softball at the plate with a one-out double.

Smith finished the day going 3-for-4 recording a triple, double and a single with an RBI.

In the seventh, Aynslie Furbush took over in the circle and picked up two outs.  Baylor got a run on first and Riley returned to finish the game. She worked 6.1 innings and allowed three hits with no runs and two strikeouts.

Ole Miss advances in the winner’s bracket to Saturday to take on either No. 12 overall seed Utah or Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. CT.