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How the SEC’s softball dominance could carry it through to the Women’s College World Series
The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson shares the top storylines she’s following through the NCAA softball tournament, starting with the SEC’s biggest strengths.
- Ole Miss scored eight of their nine runs with two outs.
- Freshman pitcher Miali Guachino earned the win, striking out key batters in the final innings.
Arkansas softball had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Ole Miss led the NCAA tournament super regional game by two runs. Razorbacks outfielder Kailey Wyckoff lofted a high fly ball to right field — off the bat, the swing looked like a potential walk-off home run. But Taylor Malvin made the game-ending catch at the warning track.
“To be honest, I was like, ‘Oh gosh, stay in here. Stay in here,’ ” Rebels coach Jamie Trachsel said. “It looked like it held a little bit and came down.”
It was one of the many moments of the May 23 game where the Rebels (41-18) took advantage of Arkansas’ top two pitchers being affected by food poisoning, and came through in the clutch to defeat No. 4 overall seed Arkansas 9-7 at Bogle Park.
The win was Ole Miss’ first ever in a super regional and has the program one win from its first Women’s College World Series. One win in the next two games against Arkansas (43-13) will advance the Rebels to the WCWS. The first chance is Game 2 on May 24 (8 p.m. CT).
“I’m proud of our fight, but we didn’t come here to win one game,” Trachsel said. “We came here to win the series, but really be where our feet are. It’s not super regionals. We’re not talking about the World Series. We’re just enjoying a special group of kids and a special group of people.”
Clutch hitting built up Ole Miss’ lead
Arkansas starting ace Robyn Herron, who allowed three runs, was pulled after just two innings because of her illness. Payton Burnham, another top pitcher, also didn’t play after falling ill from food poisoning.
And Ole Miss repeatedly came through in high-leverage situations offensively.
It scored nine runs in the first four innings. Eight of them were scored with two outs. Designated player Aliyah Binford hit a two-strike solo home run in the first inning, her 55th RBI of the season, to break Ole Miss’ single-season record. Third baseman Ashton Lansdell blasted a two-run homer in the third inning that gave Ole Miss a 7-3 lead.
The Rebels batted 6-for-13 with two outs and 5-for-14 with runners on base.
“Obviously having two outs, it can put more pressure on you as a hitter, but I think we all just went up there really confident and just had a plan,” Lansdell said. “We executed our plan and really focused on that.”
Ole Miss’ pitching was clutch late in the game
Arkansas threatened Ole Miss’ lead in each of the final three innings.
In the fifth, the Razorbacks loaded the bases with two outs as Ole Miss led 9-6. Miali Guachino ended the inning with a swinging strikeout. Arkansas had the tying run at the plate again in the sixth inning with two outs, but Guachino registered another strikeout.
Guachino, whose 172 strikeouts this season are third-most in program history, pitched the final 2⅔ innings and was credited with the win.
Ole Miss stranded 13 Arkansas baserunners in the game.
“Miali did a great job of just not letting one thing snowball into the next thing and just went after the things that she could control,” Trachsel said. “I was proud of her maturity in those moments, especially for a freshman.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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