Ole Miss softball returned to action after a week off with a 6-2 win against Samford. | Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss softball returned to action after a week off with a 6-2 win against Samford. | Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Softball Resets with Samford Win, Bigger Test Up Next

BY Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss didn’t need a statement Tuesday night. It just needed a game.

After six days without one — no SEC series last weekend, no rhythm, no real reps — the Rebels were looking for something simple: get back on the dirt, settle in, and shake off the idle stretch before No. 13 Texas A&M comes to town.

A 6-2 win over Samford did the job.

It wasn’t perfect. The first inning made sure of that. A defensive miscue and a couple of early Samford swings put Ole Miss in a 2-0 hole before some fans had even found their seats again after the long layoff.

But the Rebels didn’t let it linger. They manufactured a run in the bottom half, steadied themselves behind Emilee Boyer, and slowly took control of the night.

Boyer was the biggest piece of that. After the shaky start, she looked like someone who’d been waiting six days to pitch again. Ten strikeouts, a complete game, and long stretches where Samford barely put the ball in play.

It was the kind of outing that settles a team — the dugout gets quieter, the pace gets cleaner, and everyone remembers what it feels like to be in a game again.

The offense followed suit.

Madi George doubled in the second and eventually came home on a Taylor Roman sac fly to tie it.

Then came the swing that broke things open: George’s two‑out, three‑run shot in the fifth, her team‑leading 11th of the season.

She’s now in the single‑season top‑10 at Ole Miss, and she made it look easy. Rachel Connors added a pinch‑hit homer in the sixth for good measure, another right button pushed by Jamie Trachsel.

By the seventh, Boyer was finishing what she started, striking out her tenth batter and closing out the Rebels’ 14th straight non‑conference win.

So what does it mean?

Honestly, probably exactly what it needed to. This wasn’t about résumé building or proving anything. It was a tune‑up — a chance to get moving again before the schedule tightens.

Texas A&M comes in this weekend ranked No. 13, and that’s the series that will tell us something. Tuesday was just about getting back to work.

And on that front, Ole Miss checked the box.

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