University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagles Split With Louisville
4/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Lady Eagles Split With Louisville
Melissa Cundiff has gone 23.2 innings without giving up a run. She has yet to give up a run at the new Southern Miss Softball Complex. |
Earlier this week, the Lady Eagles split with Ole Miss on Tuesday, April 2, with USM winning game one, 2-1, and losing game two, 3-2. A doubleheader against Mississippi State ended in a draw, as the Bulldogs won the first game, 6-2, and Southern Miss claimed the second game, 3-0.
Melissa Cundiff gave an impressive performance from the mound, today, pitching one inning in the first game and giving up no runs, and finishing game two in the final four innings with an unblemished run account. The sophomore has gone 23.2 innings without giving up a run and has yet to be scored upon at the new Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Fielding miscues were in abundance today as a total of nine errors between both teams occurred in the doubleheader. The Cardinals? deciding run in the opener resulted from a muffed throw at third base.
With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Amanda Brown caught a fly ball and attempted to throw out Keola Calderon who tagged up at second base. Kristie Martin mishandled the throw, which ended up in the Lady Eagles? dugout, and allowed Calderon to score on a dead ball.
All three of Louisville?s runs were scored in the sixth. Kenzie Meisenburg reached first base, after walking, and ended up at third, after a failed pick off attempt by USM catcher Laura Smith was dropped by second basemen Laura Davis and rolled into Louisville?s dugout.
Meisenburg then scored when Sara Bausher got on base on a fielder?s choice, as shortstop Channika Gant considered a throw home, to get Meisenburg. However, she hesitated and threw to first, but not in time to get Bausher. Calderon came up and doubled to right center, scoring Bausher and tying the score at 2-2.
Southern Miss scored in the first inning, when Brown crossed the plate on Tammy Edwards? single through the right side of the infield. Sarah Boyd, who has been batting well against conference opponents, collected her third home run of the season in the second. It was a solo blast that gave the Lady Eagles an early 2-0 lead.
Jessica Rak improved to 17-8 on the year, claiming the opening victory for the Cardinals. She gave up one earned run on five hits and three walks, striking out three.
Jessica Holaway (9-7) pitched six innings and was scoreless until the sixth. She gave up two earned runs on five hits and one walk, fanning two.
In game two, Southern Miss overcame Louisville?s three-run first inning to beat the Cardinals 5-4. Five is the magic number for the Lady Eagles, as they are 10-0 on the year whenever they score five or more runs in a game.
Southern Miss scored two runs in the bottom of the first, when Brown scored on an errant throw by catcher Lisa McMillan and Edwards crossed home on Smith?s single.
Louisville scored another run in the second, when Aja Sherman reached the plate on a fielding error by Gant, giving the Cardinals a 4-2 advantage. Kenya Peters, who ended game two hitting one-for-three with two RBIs, singled in the bottom of the second to score Diane Hammes, cutting Louisville's lead, 4-3.
Peters tied the game in the fourth, when her squeeze attempt was successful, scoring Martin. Martin reached third after a run down failed to get her out, as Brown reached base on a fielder?s choice. Brown eventually scored the winning run, as a result of Edwards? sacrifice fly.
Cundiff improved to 6-8 on the year, giving up only two runs in her four innings. Krystle Herold got the loss, going five innings and giving up one earned run on one hit and four walks. She struck out two.
The Lady Eagles are now 21-21 on the year. They remain in second place in Conference USA with a 10-4 league record. Louisville is now 19-18 and 6-3 in conference play.
Both teams will play a rubber match tomorrow, Sunday, March 7, at noon. The winner of the game will claim second place in the C-USA standings.
