The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
16-3
Murray State
5-9
Binford’s No-Hitter Headlines Sweep of Murray State, Nicholls
3/1/2025 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss softball’s Aliyah Binford threw the first solo no hitter by a Rebel since 2014 to headline a sweep of Murray State and Nicholls on Saturday at the new Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
Binford became the first Rebel to record a solo no-hitter since Carly Hummel threw a perfect game against Utah State on Mar. 3, 2014, as the Rebels (17-3, 0-0 SEC) earned a 1-0 win over the Racers (5-9, 0-0 MVC), and a 14-0 win in five innings over the Colonels (7-12, 0-0 SLC).
GAME ONE | Ole Miss 1, Murray State 0
From the start of the game, Binford showcased elite command, quickly cruising through the first three innings with four strikeouts and generating five groundouts. Binford went toe-to-toe with Racers starter Bre Haislip, who also held a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
The Rebels struggled to generate support for Binford, but finally broke through with a single by Taylor Strain in the fifth inning. After Taylor Malvin reached and both runners advanced, the Rebels thought they had the first run of the game, as Jaden Pone executed a perfect bunt single, but was called out of the box early and would ultimately strikeout later in the at-bat.
Two more strikeouts in the sixth inning brought Binford to the brink of no-hitter, but she needed the offense to break through. That finally happened in the bottom of the sixth, as Persy Llamas walked and Ashton Lansdell ran for her, stealing second base and advancing to third on a wild pitch. That was enough for Lexie Brady, who delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
Binford faced early adversity in the seventh inning, as the leadoff batter walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. However, the veteran stayed cool under pressure, generating three routine outs to write her name in the record books. Binford finished with eight strikeouts on the day, matching a season-high.
GAME TWO | Ole Miss 14, Nicholls 0 (F/5)
While the pitching was the headline of game one, the Rebel bats came out motivated and on fire in game two against Nicholls. A leadoff walk by Malvin kickstarted a run of 13 batters hitting in the inning.
Singles by Pone and Binford loaded the bases, before Brady singled to score two. Mackenzie Pickens added another run on a sacrifice fly, before Lair Beautae recorded her first RBI as a Rebel to make it 4-0.
The Rebels quickly reloaded the bases and Malvin got her second chance to hit, driving in another run with a single to make it 5-0. The very next batter was Pone, who delivered a grand slam to right field, breaking the game open at 9-0. The inning was the biggest opening inning by the Rebels since an Apr. 20, 2019 win over Mississippi State.
The lead only increased from there in the second, as Lexie Brady led off the inning with a solo home run, making it 10-0. After a Grace Thompson double, Beautae walk and Angelina DeLeon single, Tenly Grisham drove in a run with an RBI single, making it 11-0. An RBI single by Addison Duke and a sacrifice fly by Ryan Starr extended the advantage to 13-0.
After three solid innings from Brianna Lopez, who struck out two batters, Alison Cooper took over in the circle, closing out another two innings. The Rebels would add another run on a Star Ferguson grounder to close out a 14-0 win.
Ole Miss will close out action in the Ole Miss Classic on Sunday, hosting South Alabama at 12:30 p.m. CT, following the final neutral game between Nicholls and Murray State at 10 a.m.
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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 @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Binford, Aliyah (3-0)
L: Bre Haislip (1-5)
Batting:
2B: Pickens, Mackenzie 1
RBI: Brady, Lexie 1
SH: Pone, Jaden 1
SF: Brady, Lexie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lansdell, Ashton 1
SB: Ferguson, Star 1 ; Lansdell, Ashton 1
