Ole Miss Rebels Softball Earns Split at Green and Gold Classic, Defeats Mercer 16-1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 25 Ole Miss softball program earned a split on the final day of the Green & Gold Classic on Sunday afternoon at Mary Bowers Field.

The Rebels (11-5, 0-0 SEC) dropped the opener to Missouri State (8-6, 0-0 CUSA) 3-2, but rallied to thrash Mercer (8-6, 0-0 SoCon), 16-1 in five innings.

GAME ONE | No. 25 Ole Miss 2, Missouri State 3
The day opened with promise for the Rebels who struck early with a double by Mackenzie Pickens and a subsequent RBI single by Madi George to take a 1-0 lead.

Emilee Boyer earned the start for the Rebels and put together a solid performance in the circle once again, breezing through the first eight outs with four strikeouts. However, a pair of two out walks would come back to bite the Rebels, as Missouri State tacked on a three-run home run in the third inning for a 3-1 lead.

The Rebels created a scoring chance in the fourth inning, with a walk by George and single by Cassie Reasner. However, the Rebels came up empty in the frame.

In the fifth inning, the Rebels got one back, as Kennedy Bunker led off the inning with a solo home run to make it 3-2. Laylonna Applin nearly did the same, but her deep fly ball was caught near the warning track and the Rebels did not add more in the inning.

Ole Miss Rebels Softball: Liesl Osteen. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Softball.

Boyer continued to rack up strikeouts, keeping the Rebels in the game. Boyer finished with a season-high 10 strikeouts on the day and gave Ole Miss a chance entering the seventh inning.

A leadoff walk by Bunker and a sacrifice from Tenly Grisham gave the Rebels a scoring opportunity. A single by Taylor Malvin advanced runners to the corners, but the Bears were able to secure the final two outs and put the game away.

GAME TWO | No. 25 Ole Miss 16, Mercer 1 (F/5)
While the Bears led off the game with a solo home run, it was all Rebels from that point on. Pickens opened up what became a huge evening with an RBI single, while George added another RBI single to make it 2-1.

Kyra Aycock worked around a bases loaded situation in the second inning and her offense rewarded her in the bottom half of the frame. Grisham reached on an error and Malvin singled, before Pickens blasted a three-run home run to open the game up with a 5-1 lead.

Three consecutive ground outs generated by Aycock preserved the lead, as the Rebels secured the run rule advantage by the third inning. A single by Grace Thompson and double by Grisham helped set up Malvin, who drove in two runs to make it 7-1. Pickens was up next and laced an RBI single to make it 8-1. For good measure, Reasner drove home Pickens with an RBI single to make it 9-1.

The lead would balloon further in the fourth inning, as Taylor Roman torched a two-run home run to left field to make it 11-1. Ryan Starr helped manufacture a run off a walk and stolen base, before Liesl Osteen picked up her first hit as a Rebel on an RBI double to make it 12-1.

With a fourth opportunity, Pickens kept her hot streak going and ripped an RBI single. Pickens finished the day with a career-high four hits and six RBI, to match the single-game program record.

The hits would keep on coming, as Llamas singled and Applin came in to slug a pinch hit, three-run blast for her first home run as a Rebel to make it 16-1. Hope Jenkins would come on in the fifth inning to close out the win in the circle.

The Rebels now head home for a lengthy homestand, beginning with a matchup against Central Arkansas on Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.

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