Hummel’s No-Hitter Leads Ole Miss Softball to Victory

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – Ole Miss junior pitcher Carly Hummel threw the fourth no-hitter in school history, and the Rebels (21-23) defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 8-0 in five innings on a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

(OleMissSports.com)
Junior pitcher Carly Hummel tossed the fourth no-hitter in Ole Miss softball history on Tuesday.

Hummel (10-13) was in command throughout the game Tuesday, striking out a season-high 10 batters en route to the no-hit victory. Hummel’s no-hitter is the first by an Ole Miss pitcher since May 1, 2012 when Kendall Bruning threw a no-no against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first game of a doubleheader.

“Carly has great stuff,” Ole Miss softball head coach Windy Thees said. “Coming back from hand surgery in January, she’s really just starting to hit her stride right now. She’s just getting back to 90-95 percent from the recovery of that. I’m excited to see where she’s going and she’s definitely going to be a leader for us as we head into the home stretch here.”

“It’s awesome, but I really just care about the win to be honest,” Hummel said. “If I can break records and that kind of stuff it’s an awesome bonus, but I’m really more excited about the win.”

Hummel’s no-hitter comes on the heels of a two-inning, shutout performance at Auburn on Sunday in which she came in to start the sixth and picked up the win.

The Rebels recorded eight runs Tuesday on seven hits and did not commit an error against the Lady Lions (10-21).

“After the 11-9 win Sunday, having a no-hitter for our defense was really nice to see,” Thees said. “It let our offense get runs and our defense had to make a few plays, but Carly had 10 strikeouts. It was really good to see us win it in a different way and I think that helps the team a lot.”

Freshman first baseman Madi Osias led the Rebels at the plate, going 3-3 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. Osias’ three runs and two doubles were each season highs, and her three hits tied a season high.

“Our freshmen hit really well and hit big RBIs for us. As a whole, obviously I’m very proud of the way our kids played.”

Ole Miss got on the board in the bottom of the second, bringing home two runs on three hits. Following a double to the left field wall by Osias, freshman catcher Natalie Martinez hit an RBI single up the middle. After Martinez stole second, her fourth stolen base of the year, junior second baseman Marina Parra hit an RBI single up the middle to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead.

Sophomore third baseman Allison Brown, fresh off a 4-4 performance Sunday at Auburn, led off the bottom of the third with a single to left field, followed by a bunt single by junior outfielder RT Cantillo. A double to right-center by Osias then scored Brown from second, giving Ole Miss a 3-0 lead. Cantillo and Osias later scored on a wild pitch and illegal pitch, respectively.

The Rebels then used a two-out rally in the fourth inning to score three runs on one hit and take an 8-0 lead which would prove to be the final score. Following a pair of walks to Brown and Cantillo, Osias hit an RBI single to center field that scored Brown and advanced Cantillo to second. Senior designated player Erinn Jayjohn then reached first on a UAPB throwing error, scoring Cantillo and Osias.

The Rebels will play again Friday when they travel to Starkville, Miss., to take on Mississippi State at 7 p.m. CT. Friday’s game will be televised by ESPNU and can also be seen at WatchESPN.com. Holly Rowe and Garland Cooper will be announcing the game.

Saturday and Sunday’s games at Mississippi State are each scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.