By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
Ole Miss defeated the Villanova Wildcats 5-1 in the opening game of the Tucson Regional.
Ole Miss (35-20) had a strong performance in the circle by left-handed pitcher Anna Borgen.
Borgen had two clean innings against the Wildcat sluggers. In the third, Villanova plated their only one run of the night.
Ole Miss got to the Villanova hurler Paige Rauch in the home half of the third. Autumn Gillespie delivered an opposite-field base knock and knotted the game upon an RBI double by Abby Latham.
In the fourth, the Rebels tacked on three more runs to go up 4-1.
There was an insurance run for the Rebels in the fifth after Sydney Gutierrez leadoff the frame with a walk. Kelsha Lofton pinch ran and came around to score in the final run.
The Rebels were lead at the plate by Gillespie who went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Latham finished going 1-for-2 with the double and an RBI.
Ole Miss moved into the winner’s bracket to face the winner of Arizona and UMBC at 4 p.m. CT.
