OXFORD, Miss. – For the third week in a row, Ole Miss (31-15, 12-8 SEC) clinched an SEC series as the Rebels set aside Auburn (25-16, 5-12 SEC) 6-1 Saturday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

Much like Anna Borgen the night before, Savannah Diederich was lethal on the rubber. The junior allowed just one unearned run in the complete game effort, striking out eight and holding the Tigers to six hits on the night.

The Rebels got on the board first, starting off the second inning with runners at the corners thanks to a Sydney Gutierrez HBP, a wild pitch and an Abbey Latham single to left-center. Ole Miss then perfectly executed the double steal, starting Latham for second and having Gutierrez follow home after the throw.

The Tigers tied the game in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly but the score would not be deadlocked for long. Sitting on a 1-1 count, Autumn Gillespie absolutely crushed a Maddie Penta offering, clubbing a no-doubt solo bomb to left-center to restore the one-run lead for Ole Miss.

The Rebels went on to add a run of insurance in the fifth inning. After Jessica Puk’s check swing roller was allowed to roll past the third base bag for a one-out double, Sydney Gutierrez sent a ball right back up the middle to bring the senior across, extending the lead to 3-1.

The next inning, Ole Miss took advantage of a Tiger error extending the frame to blow the game open. With runners at the corners and two outs, Auburn third baseman Maddison Koepke bobbled a grounder and sailed her throw to first base, allowing Maddi Banks to score and putting two more runners in scoring position. Gutierrez further made the Tigers pay, sending a single up the middle to plate the fifth and sixth runs of the night for the Rebels.

Diederich came back out and quickly retired the side in order in the seventh, locking up the 12^th conference victory of the season for Ole Miss.

Quick Hits
• The Rebels improve to 21-2 at home, including 9-2 in SEC play. Ole Miss’ 12 SEC victories are the second most in program history.
• Ole Miss clinches its third straight SEC series victory and the ninth consecutive league series at home, dating back to 2018.
• Autumn Gillespie’s third inning home run was the 19^th of her career, taking over sole possession of sixth most in a Rebel uniform.
• Additionally, the Rebel backstop gunned down a pair of runners attempting to steal, giving her five runners caught stealing on the season.
• Sydney Gutierrez played a direct role in four of the Rebels’ six runs, driving in three and scoring one herself.
• Of Gutierrez’s 35 hits in 2021, 24 have come in SEC action. The senior’s .400 batting average in league play is good for a tie for the sixth highest in the conference.
• Through 15 innings in the series, Anna Borgen and Savannah Diederich have teamed up to not allowed a single earned run.
• Diederich’s complete game effort was her ninth of the season, leading the team.

Up Next
Ole Miss will look to complete its second sweep of the season on Sunday, facing off against Auburn in the finale at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be available for streaming through SEC Network +.

For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.