University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagles Split with Ole Miss
4/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Lady Eagles Split with Ole Miss
Channika Gant hit a perfect two-for-two in game one against Ole Miss. She smashed her second home run of the season to win the opener. |
USM pitcher Jessica Holaway claimed her third-straight victory, while giving up only her fourth earned run in the last 35 innings pitched. Improving to 9-5 on the season, Holaway gave up two hits and one walk, while striking out three.
Channika Gant cracked her second home run on the season in the third inning. The solo shot over the leftfield fence was the second homer by a Lady Eagle at the recently opened Complex and gave Southern Miss a 2-0 lead. Gant finished the first game, hitting two-for-two with a run and an RBI.
Amanda Brown scored the initial run in the first, when Tammy Edwards hit into a double play but allowed Brown to cross the plate. Brown was two-for-three in the opener, with a run scored.
Laura Davis finished game one, hitting two-for-three. Kristie Martin was one-for-two, and Kenya Peters hit one-for-three, to account for all eight hits by the Lady Eagles.
Holaway went hitless in the first five innings. Becky Testin ended the no-hitter with a single to left field. Desiree Layman ended the shutout in the seventh inning with a solo blast to straight centerfield. The home run ended Holaway?s attempt for three-straight shutouts.
All the runs produced in the second game were scored in the first three innings. The Rebels got on the board first with two runs in the second inning. DeDe Justice, who finished with a school-record three doubles, claimed the initial run off Megan Kozar?s single up the middle. Nicole Alger scored on a wild pitch and gave Ole Miss a 2-0 lead.
Brown, who made a repeat performance of hitting two-for-three in game two (4-for-6 on the night), scored Heather Bell on a single up the middle in the bottom of the second. Martin tied the game, 2-2, coming home when Edwards reached on a fielder?s choice. Brown would have also reached the plate behind Martin on the same play, but Martin interfered with the catcher attempting to tag Brown out.
The Lady Eagles made another attempt to take the lead in the second, when Melanie Hymel sprinted for home on a wild pitch, but Ole Miss catcher Phyllis Manley collected the ball and dove to tag out Hymel at the plate.
In the top of the third, Ole Miss had Brooke Turner and Layman on base after they walked to get on board. Turner stole second early and stole third on the same pitch that walked Layman. USM starting pitcher Felicia Gonzales (6-6) threw a wild pitch that allowed Turner to score the winning run.
Gonzales pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up three hits, two walks and two wild pitches, while also recording four strikeouts. Melissa Cundiff came in relief in the third, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up two hits and fanning four.
Justice claimed a perfect three-for-three at the plate. Leslie Day got the win for Ole Miss. She came in relief, pitching four innings and did not give up a hit. Day recorded one walk and four strikeouts to improve to 8-4 on the year.
Southern Miss hosts Mississippi State tomorrow, April 3, in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Both games will be at the Complex, which featured an early record of 713 in attendance this evening.
A dedication ceremony for the Southern Miss Softball Complex will be held between the first and second games. Southern Miss president Dr. Aubry Lucas and athletics director Richard Giannini will be involved in the ceremony, and Dr. Lucas is expected to throw out the honorary first pitch.
