Softball To Compete In Ole Miss Tournament

Softball To Compete In Ole Miss Tournament

HATTIESBURG, Miss.? The Lady Eagle softball team will be one of seven teams competing in the Ole Miss Tournament in Oxford this weekend. Live stats will be available.

Southern Miss will face four teams in the Ole Miss Tournament this weekend, including Tennessee-Martin, Southern Illinois, Illinois State and Ball State.

The Lady Eagles are coming off an impressive opening weekend, sweeping Jackson State 11-0 and 17-0 on Feb. 5, starting the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2002 season. The team hit a school record seven doubles in its 17-0 victory, while also tying school records with 17 runs scored and 17 RBIs.

Southern Miss is currently hitting .521 as a team, with 28 runs, 25 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, 24 RBIs, 38 total bases and six stolen bases.

Junior shortstop Jessica Huerta leads the team with a 1.000 batting average. She had five hits, including three doubles and one triple for eight RBIs, scored five runs and recorded 10 total bases. Charity Butler finished the opening weekend with five runs, five hits and five RBIs, while Melissa Prouty had a hit for three RBIs, walked three times and scored three runs. Diane Hammes, Ashley Davis and Allison Bullard each finished with two doubles on the weekend.

The Lady Eagle pitching staff was also strong against Jackson State, limiting Jackson State to only three hits. Danielle Wymer pitched four innings, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out eight. Jessica Saunier pitched three innings, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out three. Krystal Crooks pitched three innings, did not allow a hit, walked one and struck out five.

Southern Miss will meet Tennessee-Martin at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, in the first game of the tournament. The game will be the Lady Skyhawks' first game of the 2005 season. It will be the second meeting between the two schools, with Southern Miss holding a 1-0 series lead, thanks to a 3-0 victory in 1988.

The Lady Skyhawks return 12 players from last year's squad that finished 40-21. First baseman Nicole Davis returns with a team-high 35 RBIs and a pitching staff best 17 wins. Junior outfielder Jennifer Young returns a team-high .398 batting average, while senior shortstop Kristin Runyan returns with a team-best eight home runs.

Southern Illinois and Southern Miss will at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, in the second game of the tournament for both teams. The two schools will meet for the fourth time, with the Lady Saluki's holding a 2-1 series advantage. Southern Illinois was a participant in the NCAA Region 7 Tournament in Palo Alto, Calif., and ended the Lady Eagles' season last year with a 4-1 victory.

The Lady Salukis open their season in the Ole Miss Tournament, and will face Southern Miss in their second game of the season. The team returns 12 letterwinners and five starters from last year's team that finished 45-17. They are ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Poll and are the first team receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Senior outfielder Katie Jordan returns with the team's most hits (45), home runs (11) and RBIs (45). Senior pitcher Amy Harre returns as the team's top hurler, with 21 wins and an ERA of 0.80.

Illinois State will be the third opponent of the tournament for Southern Miss, in the first meeting for both schools, on Sunday at 9 a.m. Illinois State returns 17 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's team that finished 33-19-1. The Lady Redbirds stand 3-2 on the season, after opening their year at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic Tournament in Miami, Fla. Senior outfielder Lauren Bierwirth leads the team in hitting with a .438 average on seven hits. Senior second baseman Kate Stake is the team's top RBI producer with three. Sophomore Shannon Nicholson is the team's top pitcher, with a 2-2 record and 1.06 ERA.

Ball State is Southern Miss' fourth opponent in the Ole Miss Tournament, as the two teams meet for the first time at 2 p.m., Sunday. Ball State will make its 2005 debut in the Ole Miss Tournament, with Southern Miss being its fourth opponent of the season. The Lady Cardinals return 12 letterwinners, six starters and four pitchers from last year's team that finished 15-39. Sophomore Taylor Yancey returns as the team's top hitter, with a .290 average and 40 hits, while senior Randi Freese returns as the top pitcher, with a 3.17 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 132.1 innings of work.

Following the Ole Miss Tournament, Southern Miss returns home to host Louisiana-Monroe in a rescheduled doubleheader on Tuesday, Feb. 15. Game times are scheduled for 3 and 5 p.m.

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Softball To Compete In Ole Miss Tournament

Related News

Related Videos