Ole Miss Softball Falls to No. 9 Clemson, 5-0
CLEMSON, S.C. – (Release) For the second time on the weekend, Ole Miss softball battled with ninth-ranked Clemson. The Rebels (11-3, 0-0 SEC) were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position and overcome four unearned runs, falling to the Tigers 5-0 on Sunday at McWhorter Stadium.
Both teams finished with three hits on the afternoon. Jalia Lassiter recorded two of the team’s hits. Clemson used a four-run fifth inning to control the lead, taking advantage of a pair of defensive miscues to plate all four runs.
Ole Miss stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings. Lassiter tallied a leadoff single in the first, and Jamie Mackay reached on an error in the second. Defensively, the Rebels looked strong as Furbush held the dangerous Clemson offense at bay in each of the first two frames.
Back-to-back one-out singles in the third gave Ole Miss one of its best scoring opportunities of the afternoon. Lassiter poked one through the right side, and Jaden Pone flashed her speed on a bunt single to force a Clemson pitching change. The Tigers turned to All-American and reigning National Player of the Year Valerie Cagle in the circle, who induced a pair of groundouts to escape the inning unscathed.
Clemson threatened in the bottom of the third with runners on second and third, but Furbush won the battle at the plate with a big swinging strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
The Tigers finally got on the board first in the fourth inning, recording their only three hits of the game. A leadoff single gave Clemson its first hit of the game, but it was quickly erased by two stellar defensive plays. Delaney Rummell snared a line drive in the hot corner to rob the Tigers of extra bases, and Lexie Brady threw out the runner trying to steal second on the very next pitch. Ole Miss nearly escaped, but back-to-back doubles gave Clemson a 1-0 lead.
The Rebels ran into trouble in the fifth after two walks and an error loaded the bases for the middle of the Tigers’ order. A wild pitch and a throwing error led to four unearned runs in the inning.
With a 5-0 lead, Clemson controlled the game the rest of the way.
Ole Miss returns to Oxford March 1-3 for the annual Ole Miss Classic.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
Adam Brown
Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
