University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Set To Play In Mercer/Comfort Inn Classic
2/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Mercer-Comfort Inn Classic Notes
Softball Set To Play In Mercer/Comfort Inn Classic
HATTIESBURG,
The Lady Eagles will face
Southern Miss enters the tournament following a 1-3 performance in the Mardi Gras Classic Feb. 18-20. The Lady Eagles defeated tournament host Louisiana-Monroe to open the tournament, before falling to San Jose State, 6-1, Louisiana Tech, 2-1, in eight innings and 4-0 to Conference USA rival Louisville, in a non-league game.
Jessica Huerta and Krystal Crooks were both named to the Mardi Gras All-Tournament team. Huerta finished the event with five hits, two RBIs, scored two runs and stole a base. She also hit her first home run of the season in the team?s 5-4 victory over Louisiana-Monroe, a game that also saw Ashley Brenan hit her first home run of the season and Jennifer Fox hit her team leading second longball. Crooks pitched two complete games in the tournament, throwing 14.2 innings. She earned her fourth win of the season against Louisiana-Monroe.
Southern Miss hits .281 as a team, with 85 hits, 59 runs, 17 doubles, six home runs and 21 stolen bases.
Huerta continues to lead Southern Miss in numerous categories, including batting average (.457), hits (16), RBIs (12), runs (nine), total bases (25), triples (one), slugging percentage (.714) and on-base percentage (.512). The team?s starting shortstop also is tied for the team lead in doubles (four) and ranks second on the team in stolen bases (four). She has at least one hit in all but two games, and multi-hits in five games.
Diane Hammes, the team?s lone senior and starting centerfielder, leads the team with eight stolen bases this season. Hammes also ranks second on the team with 13 hits, 19 total bases, eight runs, and is tied for second in RBIs with seven. She hit her first home run of the season, a walk-off blast in the bottom of the seventh inning against
The Lady Eagle pitching staff has an ERA of 5.52, with 88 hits, 49 runs, 47 earned, 26 walks, 47 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .287 batting average.
Crooks leads the team with a 3.46 ERA and 4-1 record. She has pitched three consecutive complete games, in three consecutive starts, after making her first career start against Louisiana-Monroe (2/15), in which she threw the team?s first complete game shutout of the season. Crooks has also combined to pitch two shutouts, 11-0 and 17-0 against
Southern Miss will open the Mercer/Comfort Inn Classic against
Marist finished the 2004 season with an 11-43 overall record, and returns 10 letterwinners and seven starters to the team. Jasmery Polanco returns with the team's highest batting average at .265, with 18 RBIs. Chrystine McHugh returns with the most home runs (two), doubles (seven), triples (two) and total bases (57).
Marist hit .207 as a team last season, with four home runs, 34 doubles, 85 RBIs, 60 stolen bases and 283 hits, while the pitching staff posted a 4.17 ERA, with 158 strikeouts, 89 walks and held teams to a .317 batting average.
Lindsay Ward, who returns as the team's only pitcher this season, finished 2004 with a 0-7 record and 8.53 ERA. She pitched two complete games in 44.1 innings of work.
Southern Miss will face Mercer at 5 p.m., on Friday, in the second meeting between the two schools. The Lady Eagles won the only meeting, 13-0, at the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic in 1999.
Mercer is currently 6-9 on its season. The team has a .230 batting average, with 66 runs, 84 hits, 21 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 60 RBIs. Sarah Harding leads the team in batting, with a .381 average. She also has team-highs in runs (12), hits (16) and home runs (four). Meghan Clark has a team best 13 RBIs on the season. The pitching staff posts a 2.27 ERA, with 10 complete games and four shutouts. Katie Rosentreter leads the staff with a 0.56 ERA and 5-4 record, including seven complete games and three shutouts.
On Saturday, Southern Miss faces Samford at 9 a.m. The Lady Bulldogs are 4-5 on the season. The two teams will meet for the 12th time in school history, with Southern Miss holding a 6-5 series advantage. Samford hits .155 as a team, with 15 runs, 33 hits, four home runs, 12 RBIs and five doubles on the season. Shelly Stanley leads the team with a .286 batting average and eight hits. Jenna Dempski leads the team with three RBIs. The pitching staff's ERA is 1.62, with 46 hits, 19 runs, 14 earned, 16 walks, 48 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .205 batting average. Haley Scism leads the staff with a 0.86 ERA and 3-0 record, including one complete game. She has allowed 13 hits, three runs; two earned, walked two and struck out 12.
Southern Miss will face
Southern Miss will face
The pitching staff had an ERA of 3.24 last season, allowing 337 hits, 207 runs, 146 earned, and held opponents to a .270 batting average.
Tara Campbell returns as the team?s top pitcher, posting a 2.20 ERA and 8-9 record in 2004, including 12 complete games and four shutout. In 127.1 innings of work, she gave up 112 hits, 17 doubles, 58 runs, 40 earned, and held opponents to a .230 batting average.
Following the Mercer/Comfort Inn Classic, Southern Miss returns to action on Tuesday, March 1, in a rescheduled single game against
