Alabama Softball Drops Game Two to Ole Miss, 10-3

Alabama softball dropped a 10-3 decision to Ole Miss Saturday at Rhoads Stadium, evening the weekend series at 1-1.

Alabama (21-8, 2-3 SEC) fell behind early after Ole Miss (16-11, 2-6 SEC) put five runs on the board in the first inning. The Rebels would go on to lead 9-0 before the Tide rallied to score one in the bottom of the fourth and two in the fifth to avoid the run-rule loss. Ole Miss added another run in the sixth inning to take the score to 10-3, which proved final. Celebrating her senior day, Demi Turner went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while junior Reagan Dykes and senior Sydney Booker also had multi-hit performances, batting behind her in the seventh and eighth spots, respectively.

Ole Miss loaded the bases to lead off the top of the first with a pair of singles and a walk before a wind-aided double to right field plated two runs to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead. After a lineout for out number one, Turner fielded a groundout and threw home as junior Reagan Dykes tagged the runner trying to score for out number two. Dykes then threw back to second and initially the batter was called out trying to advance to second, but after a long discussion with the umpires the runner was deemed safe and another run was awarded to Ole Miss as a runner at second had crossed home plate on the play. Now leading 3-0, the Rebels took advantage of the extended inning as Brittany Finney blasted a two-run home run to extend it to 5-0 before a fly out ended the inning.

With a runner at third and one out in the top of the second, a would-be groundout plated a sixth run for Ole Miss but an error on the play allowed the batter to reach safely with the score now 6-0. With the score the same in the top of the fourth, Ole Miss loaded the bases with one away. A wild pitch would move the three runners up 60 feet and make it 7-0 and an RBI groundout gave the visitors an eight-run lead. Another wild pitch scored a run to make it 9-0 before a groundout ended the inning.

Alabama loaded the bases on three-straight singles to start the bottom of the fourth and sophomore Claire Jenkins lifted a fly ball to left, scoring the Tide’s first run of the day on a sacrifice fly. With the score the same in the bottom of the fifth, Alabama put runners at the corners with two away and Dykes dropped a single into shallow left to plate a run to avoid the run-rule loss with the score now 9-2. A bases-loaded walk to Jenkins made it 9-3 before a fly ball ended the inning.

Ole Miss extended its lead back to seven with an RBI single in the top of the sixth and the score remained 10-3 same heading to the bottom of the seventh, but the Tide went down in order as the Rebels earned the win to even the weekend series.

The series rubber match begins at 1:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 25.

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