CONWAY, Ark. – After hosting its first home tournament of the spring, the Central Arkansas softball team hits the road for its first midweek against an SEC foe. The Bears head to Oxford, Mississippi to take on the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday, with first pitch at 5 p.m.
The Bears (9-6) went 3-2 in the Michelle Short & Adam Brown Memorial Collegiate Classic over the weekend, picking up a pair of wins over Saint Louis and one win over Evansville.
LJ Smith hit .471 in six games last week, including the midweek win over Northern Iowa, and
Grace Molitor hit a pair of bombs and led the team with eight RBI over the weekend. In the circle,
Bailie Runner held a 1.47 ERA, winning three games and capturing her first-career no-hitter against the Panthers.
On the year,
Trinity Brandon continues to swing a dangerous bat, hitting .360 with seven doubles and a home run. She's one of five Bears with double-digit hits, one of seven Bears with multiple doubles, and one of five Bears to hit a home run this season. Defensively, the Lamar transfer has been a stud at third base, one of three Bears with 30 or more assists, and she's been a part of three of the Bears 13 double plays turned this season.
Ole Miss enters the week 11-5, having gone 4-1 over the weekend at the Green and Gold Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. The Rebels outscored their opponents 37-4 over the five games, winning two by run-rule, picking up three shutouts, and winning one game in extras, a nine-inning, 1-0 win over Southern Illinois. The one loss on the weekend was a 3-2 loss to Missouri State.
The Rebel offense looks terrific on paper, hitting .334 as a team with 149 hits through 16 games, including 22 doubles and 20 home runs. The Rebels also have 62 walks drawn, an OBP of .427, and have 22 stolen bases under their belt. In the circle, Ole Miss pitchers have allowed just a 2.74 ERA, led by Emilee Boyer's 1.97. The senior has thrown 32.0 innings, striking out 28 batters while only walking nine. She is one of three Rebel pitchers to allow opposing hitters to bat under .200 on the season.
First pitch against the Rebels is set for 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The game will be streamed on SECN+, with live stats available online.
