Katie
Drew Barton
4
Winner Ole Miss MISS 19-8, 19-8 SEC
2
North Alabama UNA 17-5, 0-0 ASUN
Winner
Ole Miss MISS
19-8, 19-8 SEC
4
Final
2
North Alabama UNA
17-5, 0-0 ASUN
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Ole Miss MISS 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 4 4 2
North Alabama UNA 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0

W: Boyer, Emilee (5-5) L: Simon, Katie (7-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball falls to Ole Miss in extra inning heartbreaker, 4-2

Lions lead most of the game behind strong outing from Simon

FLORENCE, Ala. (March 10, 2026) – The University of North Alabama softball team was moments away from the first SEC win in program history on Tuesday, but the Ole Miss Rebels escaped Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium with a 4-2 win in extra innings.

The Lions (17-5) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a three-hit inning, plating runs from sophomore first baseman Holly Merritt and freshman second baseman Karley Moreland.

The lead held until the seventh inning, as Ole Miss (19-8) used solo homers in the fifth and seventh to tie it.UNA stranded the winning run in scoring position to end the seventh, setting up a dramatic finish in Florence.

Ole Miss got its breakthrough moment in the eighth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, as Madi George snuck one through the infield and down the right field line for a two-RBI double. The Lions got the final out in the next at-bat but were unable to score in the bottom frame.

This ended a seven-game win streak for UNA while marking the first home loss of the season.

Despite suffering her first loss of the season, senior pitcher Katie Simon had a tremendous showing against an SEC team that's currently receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. She took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed just three hits all game.

Both teams finished with four hits, as Moreland had two for the Lions. Merritt and Wright both had singles in the second inning for the other two hits. In that frame, Merritt led off with a single and later scored on an RBI single into right field by Moreland. After Wright singled in the next at-bat, freshman Livy Huter found her way on with a fielder's choice to put Lions on the corners.

Huter attempted to steal second, prompting a throw down from Ole Miss. The catch was muffed and rolled into the outfield, allowing Moreland to race home from third to make it 2-0.

The 2-0 lead held for multiple innings as Simon dealt, taking a no hitter into the fifth. With one out, Kennedy Bunker hit a solo shot to right to make it a 2-1 ball game. Simon retired five in a row after that to end the frame and go three-up, three-down in the sixth. The Lions threatened to get some sixth-inning insurance with two on, but a strikeout by Ole Miss ace Emilee Boyer ended the threat. Boyer remained in and picked up her fifth win of the season.

George tied the game with a leadoff homer in the seventh, but Simon retired all three after that. Moreland had her second hit to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but a couple of pop outs and a deep flyout by Huter that approached the warning track forced extra innings.

Today ended a pair of nine-game hitting streaks for senior Gyvan Hammons and junior Bayleigh Rouse, but both extended their reached base streaks. Hammons has reached in 17 straight when counting errors and fielder's choice and 10 otherwise, as Hammons walked in the sixth. Rouse got on with a fielder's choice to make it 18 straight games reaching with the modifiers.
 

Pitchers of Record
W – Emilee Boyer (5-5)
L – Katie Simon (7-1)
S – None
 


COMING UP NEXT

The Lions begin Atlantic Sun Conference play this Saturday at 1 p.m. against Central Arkansas at Hilda B. Anderson Softball Stadium.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

 

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