The No. 17 Ole Miss softball team returns to action this evening as they play host to the Boston College Eagles. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Ole Miss (13-3) is coming off of a 3-1 weekend as hosts of the Ole Miss Classic. The Rebels defeated UT Martin 10-2 in five innings to kick off the classic before earning a 3-1 win over Saint Louis and another 10-2 victory in five frames against the Mocs of Chattanooga. The classic didn’t end the way the Rebs would have liked, falling 5-2 to in-state opponent Southern Miss.
Freshman third baseman Amanda Roth was a thriller at the plate during the Ole Miss Classic. Roth posted a .833 average during the event, reaching base in 10-of-11 plate appearances.
Boston College is rolling into Oxford with a 5-9 record, which is likely not quite where the Eagles would like to be sitting after 14 games. Six of the Eagles’ nine losses have been by two runs or less, including three extra-inning affairs. Boston College also earned a quality 3-0 victory over Nebraska in mid-February, defeating a team that is currently receiving votes in both national polls. In its most recent action, Boston College went 2-3 at the FIU Classic in Miami, falling twice in extras to the host Golden Panthers. Boston also fell to Michigan State and earned victories over Siena and Central Connecticut State.
This season, the majority of the Eagle lineup has struggled at the plate. Senior middle infielder Chloe Sharabba has bucked that trend posting a .378 average with four doubles, two home runs and a team-high 11 runs scored. Freshman Cami Sellers and Emme Martinez are both batting under .200 but have found ways to produce runs with seven and six RBIs, respectively. Once on base, the Eagles have proven to be dangerous, stealing successfully in 18 of 24 attempts.
Senior Jessica Dreswick and redshirt-junior Allyson Frei have combined to throw all but one inning’s worth of Boston College’s pitches. Dreswick leads the way with 57 frames in the circle, registering a 4-3 record in her 12 appearances with a 2.33 ERA and 62 strikeouts to 22 walks. Frei isn’t far behind with 45.2 innings on the rubber, falling on hard times with a 1-6 record despite decent numbers. Frei sits with a 2.45 ERA, striking out 44 and allowing 19 free passes. The defense behind the Boston College pitchers has not always been up to the task. Boston has just one player on its roster that has yet to commit an error. The Eagles as a team have committed 19 errors, leading to a .958 fielding percentage.
When the Rebels take the diamond against the Eagles tonight, it will be the first match between the schools.
Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
