OXFORD, Miss. ? Ole Miss dropped both games of a doubleheader to the No. 1 nationally-ranked Florida Gators on Saturday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. The Rebels lost a tight 2-0 contest in the first game and fell 12-0 in the second game of the day.
Becky Nye pitched a complete game and allowed only one earned run on five hits, but it wasn’t enough as the Gators (26-2, 7-0 SEC) downed Ole Miss (11-11, 0-5 SEC) 2-0 in the day’s first game.
Gator first baseman Ali Gardiner hit a leadoff home run to right center in the top sixth inning to break a scoreless tie. Florida added its final run in the top of the seventh when center fielder Michelle Moultrie reached on a throwing error to start the inning and later scored on an RBI single from second baseman Aja Paculba.
The Rebels loaded the bases in the bottom of the first on a Corrine Doornberg infield single and back-to-back walks from Lauren Grill and Michelle May, but Florida starting pitcher Stacey Nelson retired the next two batters to end the inning.
Doornberg, Lisa Conchos, Amber Tramp, Alyssa McGovern, and Aly Presswood each finished the game with a single.
Ole Miss threatened again in the bottom of the seventh after Presswood singled to start the inning and Alise Doubt reached on a fielding error. Both runners moved up on a groundout by Doornberg, but Nelson retried Conchos and Grill to end the game.
Nye (7-6) suffered the loss for the Rebels after pitching 7.0 innings. She allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and struck out three.
Game Two
Florida scored five runs in two different innings as the Gators downed Ole Miss 12-0 in game two of the doubleheader.
Florida first struck for five runs in the top of the third inning. Rebel starting pitcher Lindsey Perry uncorked two wild pitches that allowed Aja Paculba to score and give the Gators a 1-0 lead. Florida built on that lead with a pair of two-run home runs in the inning from left fielder Francesca Enea and shortstop Megan Bush that gave Gators a 5-0 advantage.
Perry (3-5) took the loss after pitching 2.2 innings and allowing five runs on four hits. Becky Nye entered in relief of Perry in the third and pitched the final 4.1 innings. She allowed two earned runs and five hits, while striking out two.
The Gators added another five spot in the seventh, aided by two walks, a hit by pitch and a Rebel error. The inning with highlighted by shortstop Megan Bush’s RBI double that gave Florida a 12-0 advantage.
Junior All-American Lauren Grill led the Rebel offense going 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles. Corrine Doornberg and Alyssa McGovern also picked up singles in the game.
The Rebels and the Gators will conclude their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
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