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Speedline Tournament Game Notes
Softball To Compete In The Speedline Tournament
Jessica Huerta continues to lead the team in numerous offensive categories, including batting average (.443), hits, (27), triples (three), RBIs (15), slugging percentage (.672) and on-base percentage (.507). |
Freshman Krystal Crooks leads the pitching staff with a 1.89 ERA and 8-1 record. She has thrown seven consecutive complete games in as many starts, with three shutouts this season. |
HATTIESBURG, Miss.? Southern Miss will play in its final regular-season tournament of the season this week, as it travels to Clearwater, Fla., to take part in the Speedline Tournament. There will not be live stats available for the tournament, because there will not be a phone line at the field.
The Lady Eagles will face Coastal Carolina (7-7) on Thursday, Mar. 10 at 1 p.m., Central Michigan (3-4) and Pittsburgh (5-15) at 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., respectively on Friday, Mar. 11, and Illinois (8-5) on Saturday, Mar. 12 at 11 a.m. The championship rounds are set for 9 a.m. 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., on Sunday.
The team enters the tournament off a 2-1 opening Conference USA series win against Charlotte, including a 12 inning, 1-0 victory in the series finale.
Southern Miss hits .285 as a team, with 154 hits, 103 runs, 29 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 90 RBIs and 41 stolen bases.
Jessica Huerta continues to lead the team in numerous offensive categories, including batting average (.443), hits, (27), triples (three), RBIs (15), slugging percentage (.672) and on-base percentage (.507). She is also tied for the team lead with Ashley Davis and Allison Bullard with five doubles.
Davis is coming off a two home run week, including a three-run blast over the scoreboard in the team?s opening league game on Mar. 5, and leads the team with three longballs this season. She finished the week with a .533 batting average, including eight hits, three doubles, two home runs, six runs scored, five RBI, 17 total bases, 1.133 slugging percentage and .632 on-base percentage.
The pitching staff has a 3.09 ERA, with 136 hits, 75 runs, 62 earned, 75 strikeouts, 22 walks and has held opponents to a .253 batting average.
Freshman Krystal Crooks leads the pitching staff with a 1.89 ERA and 8-1 record. She has thrown seven consecutive complete games in as many starts, with three shutouts this season. She has allowed 54 hits, 21 runs, 19 earned, walked 16, struck out 27 and held batters to a .212 batting average. In her last outing, Crooks recorded her third shutout of the season, scattering seven hits and walking one.
Junior Danielle Wymer enters the tournament off perhaps the best performance of her career. Wymer pitched 12 strong innings in the team?s series finale against Charlotte, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. She settled for a four-hit, seven strikeout shutout, the second of her career, also the 19th complete game of her career. On the season, Wymer has a 3-5 record and 3.32 ERA, with a team-high 32 strikeouts.
Southern Miss opens the Speedline Tournament, Thursday, Mar. 10, against Coastal Carolina at 1 p.m., in the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Lady Chanticleers enter the tournament with a 7-7 record. Coastal Carolina hits .219 as a team, with 76 hits, 33 runs, seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, seven stolen bases and 28 RBIs. Katey Allen leads the team with a .286 batting average, including 12 hits and eight runs. Sara Hostetler leads the team with nine RBIs. The team's pitching staff has an ERA of 2.54, with 94 hits, 50 runs, 34 earned, 22 walks, 66 strikeouts and holds teams to a .250 batting average. Brittany Nelson leads the staff with a 1.93 ERA and 5-1 record, including four complete games. She has allowed 35 hits, 17 runs, 10 earned, walked eight, struck out 33 and holds opponents to a .248 batting average.
On Friday, Mar. 11, Southern Miss will face Central Michigan, also for the first time in school history. Central Michigan is currently 3-4 on the season. The Lady Chippewas hit .226 as a team, with 14 runs, 35 hits, seven doubles, one triple, one home run, seven stolen bases and 11 RBIs. Jacque Benedict leads the team with a .278 batting average and five RBIs. She is also tied with Amy Hudson and Karen Hohs with five hits. The pitching staff has an ERA of 3.47, with 49hits, 26 runs, 21 earned and holds teams to a .288 batting average. Jessica Garvin leads the staff with a 1.73 ERA and 3-2 record. She has pitched 28.1 innings, allowing 30 hits, nine runs, seven earned, walked 15, struck out 23 and holds batters to a .270 batting average.
Following the Central Michigan game, the Lady Eagles will meet Pittsburgh for the fourth time in school history, at 1p.m. The two teams haven't met since the 1999 season, as Southern Miss has a 3-0 series advantage. The first meeting came Feb. 26 in the Bama Bash Tournament in Tuscaloosa, with the Lady Eagles claiming a 9-1 victory. The two teams met again on Mar. 9 in a tournament in Atlanta, Ga., with the Lady Eagles winning both meetings, 10-2 and 17-3. In the 17-3 victory, Southern Miss set a school record in hits, finishing with 20 for the game and tied a school record with 17 runs. Pittsburgh is currently 5-10 on the season. The Lady Panthers hit .230 as a team, with 49 runs, 94 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 46 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Casey Pickard leads the team with a .348 batting average, 16 hits, nine runs and four doubles. Mary Hecker and Jessica Dignon are tied for the team lead in RBIs (eight), while Christa Hunter has a team best two home runs. The pitching staff has an ERA of 2.68, including nine complete games. In 104.1 innings, it has allowed 96 hits, 63 runs, 40 earned, 47 walks, 39 strikeouts, 21 doubles, four home runs and has held teams to a .249 batting average. Hunter leads the pitching staff with a 1.84 ERA and 3-5 record, including five complete games. In 49.1 innings of work, she has allowed 45 hits, 24 runs, 13 earned, 15 walks, 19 strikeouts and has held batters to a .250 batting average.
Southern Miss will meet Illinois for the third time in school history on Sunday, at 10 a.m. Illinois holds a 2-0 series advantage, as it won 2-0 over Southern Miss in the Sunshine State Tournament in Tallahassee, Fla., last season. Illinois also won 3-1 in the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C. in 2001. Illinois is currently 8-5 on the season. The Fighting Illini hit .279 as a team, with 101 hits, 70 runs, 18 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 57 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. LeeAnn Butcher leads the team with a .400 batting average, including 18 hits and 13 runs. Shanna Diller and Jena Hall each lead the team with two home runs and 14 RBIs, while Julie Balicki has a team-high five doubles. The pitching staff has an ERA of 3.58, including 103 hits, 68 runs, 44 earned, 63 strikeouts, 44 walks, 13 doubles, 11 home runs and has held teams to a .288 batting average. Mary Miller leads the team with a 3.31 ERA and 4-2 record. She has allowed 50 hits, 25 runs, 17 runs, 15 earned, walked 15, struck out 30 and holds teams to a .318 batting average. Clarie DeVresse has two complete games for Illinois.
The Speedline Tournament?s championship rounds are set for 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., on Sunday.
Following the Speedline Tournament, the Lady Eagles will travel to Oxford to take on Ole Miss, in a doubleheader set for 5 and 7 p.m. Southern Miss will also be on the road this weekend, returning to Conference USA action at Saint Louis.
