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OXFORD, Miss. - Alyssa Rivera's sixth inning 2-run blast to right field was the difference-maker as No. 10 Auburn defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in the series opener Friday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
Tied at 1-all late in the top of the sixth inning with two outs, junior Kendall Veach battled her way to a base on balls to put the go-ahead run on first. Rivera, a sophomore from Eagle Lake, Fla. then capitalized on the situation as she turned on the first pitch she saw to give the Tigers the decisive 3-1 advantage.
The contest was a low-scoring affair for the majority of the game as starters Kaylee Carlson and Kaitlin Lee exchanged five scoreless innings of work. Carlson ultimately won the battle to improve to 15-1 on the season, moving her to 61 career wins at Auburn. The right-hander needs just one more win to tie the Auburn career wins mark of 62.
Carlson finished with one run allowed on six hits. Ole Miss' Lee fell to 10-6 on the season as she allowed seven hits and was responsible for all three runs.
Auburn drew first blood in the second on a RBI single by Justus Perry to plate Rivera. The Rebels quickly responded with a RBI single of their own in the bottom of the inning and threatened for more, however solid Tiger defense limited the damage as Kendall Veach snagged a line drive at third base to close the frame.
Rivera and Casey McCrackin finished with two hits apiece to lead the charge at the plate for the Tigers, who improved to 32-6, 6-4 on the season and have won their last seven-straight. McCrackin, a junior from Pensacola, Fla. has reached base safely in a career-best 11-straight games.
Ole Miss was led at the plate by Kaylee Horton, who finished with two hits. The Rebels dropped to 16-13, 2-8.
Game two between the Tigers and Rebels begins tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT.