OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss loaded the bases in its half of the eighth and picked up an extra-inning win as Rebel pinch hitter Aynslie Furbush drew a bases-loaded walk for 6-5 walk-off win over University of South Alabama softball team Wednesday evening at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

Kennedy Cronan and Kamdyn Kvistad both homered for the Jags, while Meredith Keel also drove in a pair in the loss.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (10-8) will return home and open up a four-game home stand with a Sun Belt Conference series versus Appalachian State. First pitch of game one of a Saturday doubleheader is set to 1 p.m.

SOUTH ALABAMA at OLE MISS
Date: 3/10
Place: Ole Miss Softball Complex (Oxford, Miss.)

Final Score: Ole Miss 6, South Alabama 5 [8 inn.]
Records: Ole Miss (15-7), South Alabama (10-8)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Anna Borgen (5-0)  LP – Kaitlyn Hughes (0-1)
Home Runs: USA: Kennedy Cronan (1), Kamdyn Kvistad (5); Ole Miss: Paige Smith (6)

GAME FACTS
- Cronan put the Jaguars on top as she drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left center to lead off the second inning and give South Alabama the one-run advantage. Abby Krzywiecki later singled through the left side of the infield with two outs, and Victoria Ortiz battled her way back to earn a walk to put a pair of for the Jaguars. The two runners moved up a base on a ground out and came around to score on Meredith Keel's double to the gap in left center (3-0).
- Ole Miss loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the inning as three straight batters – Autumn Gillespie, Puk and Mikayla Allee – were hit by a pitch, but Allie Hughen was helped out by her defense as Ortiz gunned down the runner at the plate to end the inning.
- South Alabama added another run in its half of the third as Kvistad homered to left – her team-leading fifth of the season – to extend the lead to 4-0.
- The Rebels were able to flip the lineup and put a pair of runners on after back-to-back singles from Keisha Loftin and Nyomi Jones. The two Rebels moved up a base after a check-swing ground out and Paige Smith hit her sixth home run of the season over the wall in center to cut the Jaguar lead to one (4-3). Abbey Latham then nearly tied the game up one batter later as she gave the ball a ride, but it was hauled in by Mackenzie Brasher at the wall in center.
- UM put a pair aboard after a one-out walk was issued to Gillespie and Puk's liner was just over the out-stretched glove of Belle Wolfenden at second. Allee reached on a fielder's choice as Gillespie was forced out at third, but Keel's throw to second was off, allowing Puk to score and Allee to reach third. One batter later, Loftin plated the go-ahead run (5-4).
- Down to their final out, the Jaguars tied the game up with a run in the top of the seventh Camryn McLemore got the rally started with a pinch-hit, infield-single and then came around to score (5-5) on Emma Kropp's two-out pinch-hit double to the gap in left
- After retiring the Jags in order in the top half of the frame, Gillespie led off the bottom of the eighth for the Rebels with her second hit of the night and Puk reached on a bunt single. The two runners moved up a base on a passed ball. The next batter was hit by a pitch – the fourth of the game for UM – to load the bases with no outs. Furbush then drew the game-winning walk for the Rebels on five pitches.

NOTES
- The game versus the Rebels marked the second extra-inning game of the season for the Jaguars as they are now 1-1 in those contests.
- The home run for Cronan was her first of the season and first since her freshman season (2019), and the 12th of her Jaguar career. The junior's home run was also the fourth leadoff home run of the spring for the club.
- Kvistad's third-inning home run was the 23rd of her career and the 44th extra-base hit for the senior, moving her into a tie for ninth on the program's list.
- The win extended Ole Miss' non-conference home win streak to 35 games
- Prior to Wednesday night's game, the Rebel pitching staff had allowed just one run at home over their last eight games at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game:
"We got off to a good start, but fell off about half way through the game. You have to play complete games. You have to pitch, play defense, and have quality at-bats for seven innings. Good teams take advantage of mistakes and that's what happened to us tonight. We did not play well enough to win. We need to regroup and get ready for a very good App State team this weekend."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.

—USA—