University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagles Start Conference Play, Host Houston
3/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Lady Eagles Start Conference Play, Host Houston
Tammy Edwards batted .500 in four games last week. She earned all-tournament honors at LSU's Purple & Gold Challenge. |
Dates: Wednesday, March 5, 5 p.m. (DH) & Thursday, March 6, 1 p.m.
Location: Southern Miss Softball Complex (500), Hattiesburg, Miss.
Media: Live Stats on SouthernMiss.com
Series Record: Southern Miss leads, 5-4
HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? The road-weary Lady Eagles return to the Southern Miss Softball Complex this week and host their first Conference USA series against Houston. A doubleheader against the Cougars will start on Wednesday, March 5, at 5 p.m., and a single game will conclude the series on Thursday, March 6, at 1 p.m. All games will have Live Stats featured on SouthernMiss.com.
Southern Miss (7-9) has not competed at home since Feb. 11, when the squad hosted Northwestern (La.) State in a doubleheader for its only competition in Hattiesburg this season. The Lady Eagles defeated the Demons in both games, 4-2 and 5-4, and look to keep their 2-0 home record perfect.
Tammy Edwards and Auriel Jenkins were the Lady Eagles? top hitters last week. Both were named to LSU?s Purple & Gold Challenge all-tournament team.
Edwards batted .500 in the last four games. She was 6-for-12 at the plate with a run scored and two doubles. Jenkins hit .357 (5-for-14) in the last five games, collecting four runs, two home runs and four RBIs.
The Lady Eagle pitching staff produced an 0.71 ERA in the last five games, surrendering only three earned runs. Danielle Hatfield made her first start in the pitching circle last weekend, and in her last two appearances, she was 1-0 with a two-hit shutout against Jackson State and recorded four hits, one earned run, seven strikeouts and no walks in eight innings.
Ace pitcher Jessica Holaway is 3-5 on the year, holding a 1.29 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 17 walks. The junior has given up only one earned run in her last five appearances.
Houston (10-10) starts the league series with a 2-0 advantage over the Lady Eagles this season. Last weekend, the Cougars defeated Southern Miss, 1-0 and 5-2, in LSU?s tournament. The Lady Eagles are 5-4 in the all-time series against Houston and swept the Cougars, 3-0, in last year?s series matchup.
The victory that highlighted Houston?s weekend was the 3-1 upset over No. 8 LSU last Saturday. Jamie Falco (5-3) picked up the victory, striking out four and allowing four hits, and was named C-USA Pitcher of the Week. The junior enters this week?s series with a 1.19 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 15 walks.
Jeanie Davis leads the Cougar hitters with a .432 batting average. She has collected seven doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs this season. Houston features seven players who have recorded home runs this season. As a team, the Cougars lead the conference with 15 home runs.
Southern Miss goes back on the road next week with a tour of the state of Louisiana. The Lady Eagles compete at Louisiana-Lafayette in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m. They will face Northwestern (La.) State on Tuesday, March 11, in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m., and McNeese State on Thursday, March 13, in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
