The Ole Miss softball team, ranked No. 21 nationally, split a doubleheader against McNeese on the opening day of the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational in Lafayette, Louisiana.
In the first game, Ole Miss fell behind early and trailed 10-1 before mounting a comeback attempt. Persy Llamas contributed an RBI double and later hit two home runs. Freshman Madi George also added two home runs, including one following a walk by Llamas. Grace Thompson recorded her first collegiate home run as part of the Rebels’ offensive surge.
Freshman pitcher Payton Kennedy made her collegiate debut in relief, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing only two runs while striking out two batters. Despite a late rally that brought Ole Miss within one run after a two-run single by Mackenzie Pickens, McNeese held on for a 12-11 win.
In the second game, Ole Miss quickly took control. Cassie Reasner opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning. Thompson doubled and scored on a double steal in the third inning, followed by additional runs driven in by Pickens and Llamas. George added an RBI triple to make it 4-0.
Pitcher Lilly Whitten limited McNeese to four hits over four innings, helping maintain Ole Miss’s lead despite McNeese narrowing the gap to 4-2. The Rebels responded with more offense as George contributed an RBI single and another run scored on an error.
Kyra Aycock entered in relief with bases loaded and threw three hitless innings to secure the save, giving up only one run on a fielder’s choice. Ole Miss sealed its 8-3 victory with two more runs in the sixth inning.
Ole Miss will continue tournament play Friday with games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 11 a.m. CT and Louisiana at 1:30 p.m. CT.
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For updates on Ole Miss softball, visit their official site or follow their social media accounts on Twitter (@OleMissSoftball), Facebook (Ole Miss Softball), Instagram (@olemisssoftball), or head coach Jamie Trachsel’s Twitter account (@Jamie_Trachsel).
