University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagles Face Blue Demons in Pivotal League Series
4/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Lady Eagles Face Blue Demons in Pivotal League Series
Jessica Holaway is 6-1 in C-USA games with a 0.74 ERA. |
The Blue Demons (33-8 overall) are 14-1 in league play, holding first place over the Lady Eagles (25-27), who are 14-4 in the conference. Three Southern Miss wins will allow a takeover at the top of the standings, while a series win by DePaul would clinch the regular-season title for the Blue Demons.
Significant battles have come in the DePaul-Southern Miss overall series. The Blue Demons hold a 6-4 advantage, but the Lady Eagles claimed the previous victory, which was a 2-0 win in last year?s C-USA Championship game, giving Southern Miss its second-consecutive league tournament title.
DePaul is currently on a five-game winning streak and has won 13 of its last 14 and 22 of its last 25 games. The Blue Demons are ranked ninth in the country in batting, with a team average of .317. They also ranked 11th in team ERA at 1.21.
Lindsay Chouinard is DePaul?s powerful ace. Posting an 18-3 record, the junior is fifth in the nation with a 0.60 ERA, while tossing 150 strikeouts and 22 walks.
Holding the hot sticks for the Blue Demons is the trio of Liz Bouck (.425 batting average), Shavaughne Desecki (.372) and Sarah Martz (.358). All three were all-conference performers last season, including Martz who was C-USA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
Southern Miss is looking to halt its current five-game losing skid, which includes four-straight losses to No. 3 LSU. The Lady Eagles hope to increase its success in recent conference games, as they have won eight of its last nine.
In league competition, Sarah Boyd holds a .659 slugging percentage, which ranks first in the conference. She is batting .341 against league foes with three home runs and five doubles.
Channika Gant has also performed well in conference play. She batted over .500 in the three-game series against East Carolina two weeks ago and earned Co-Hitter of the Week honors.
Jessica Holaway features the third-best ERA in conference action among league performers. She is 6-1 with a 0.74 ERA and 33 strikeouts in league play. Overall, she is 12-9 with a 2.27 ERA and 67 strikeouts.
Felicia Gonzales pitched a shutout the last time she threw in conference action, a 5-0 victory over East Carolina. The senior is 5-1 against in C-USA play with a 1.78 ERA and 33 strikeouts.
