On Wednesday, the Ole Miss Rebels softball team fought tooth and nail with the LSU Tigers. Tied 3-3 in the top of the 10th inning in the first round of the SEC softball tournament, the Rebels sought a hero, and Paige Smith emerged.
Smith hit a go-ahead two-run home run that barely cleared the fence to end a deadlock from the sixth inning. The clutch home run from the senior infielder sent the Rebels into a frenzy, as Ole Miss shocked the 14th-ranked team in the country.
“CHECKMATE,” the official NCAA softball account tweeted. “Paige Smith sneaks a two-run shot over the wall in the top of the 10th inning to put @OleMissSoftball ahead for good in a 5-3 upset of No. 14 LSU.”
CHECKMATE ♟️
Paige Smith sneaks a two-run shot over the wall in the top of the 10th inning to put @OleMissSoftball ahead for good in a 5-3 upset of No. 14 LSU.#NCAASoftball x 🎥 SECN pic.twitter.com/xKZdAKxlJF
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 10, 2023
During a trip to Missouri last month, a chess tournament occurred in the hotel the Ole Miss softball team was staying in. They took the Queen (chess piece), highlighted on the broadcast and shown being brandished by one of the players in the dugout before Smith’s clutch home run.
The Tennessee Volunteers secured the SEC regular season championship, but that doesn’t mean Ole Miss should be counted out, especially after a massive win over a ranked opponent. The Rebels will face 15th-ranked Auburn in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday, May 11. Perhaps, that chess piece will bring some more good luck for a team determined to make a postseason run.