University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball To Host Nationally Ranked Alabama Wednesday
2/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 21, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss Lady Eagle softball team hosts No. 6 Alabama on Wednesday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Alabama, currently ranked No. 6 in the nation, leads the series 3-1, and have won the past three meetings. The two schools will meet for the first time since the 2003 season, a 5-1 Alabama victory in Tuscaloosa. Wednesday will mark Alabama's second trip to Hattiesburg and the first trip since the 2002 season, a 2-0 Crimson Tide win. Southern Miss lone victory came in the 2000 season, a 3-0 victory in the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla.
With the Crimson Tide's current national ranking, they will be the second highest ranked team to play at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. No. 3 LSU played a pair of games at the softball complex during the 2002 season.
Southern Miss enters the game with a 4-9 record, following a 3-3 showing and a runner-up finish at the Ragin' Cajun Classic in Lafayette, La. Ashley Brenan, Ashley Davis and Jennifer Fox were all named to the All-Tournament team.
The Lady Eagles are hitting .217 as a team, with 65 hits, 12 doubles, two home runs, 32 RBI, 23 stolen bases, 26 walks and 42 runs scored.
Brenan leads the team with a .345 batting average, posting team highs in hits (10), walks (seven) and stolen bases (seven). Kristin Pilgrim has a team-high six RBI, following a career-high, four RBI performance against McNeese State on Sunday. Davis, Pilgrim, Charity Butler and Allison Bullard each have two doubles on the season.
In the circle, Southern Miss has a 5.34 ERA, with six complete games and one shutout. In 80 innings of work, the staff has struck out 64, allowing 91 hits, 67 runs, 61 earned, with 67 walks. Opposing teams are hitting .288 against Southern Miss this season.
Lacey Gros has a team-best 4.67 ERA and 3-4 record. She leads the staff with 42 innings pitched and has 50 strikeouts on the season. Gros combined with Shea Naramore to pitch a no-hitter on Wednesday against Jackson State, before she picked up her second and third wins in the Ragin' Cajun Classic.
Alabama enters the game with a No. 6 national ranking and 9-1 record. The Crimson Tide hit .301 as a team, with 77 hits, 63 runs, 19 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 48 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
Dani Woods leads the team with a .440 batting average, with 11 hits, five doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.
In the circle, Alabama has a 0.42 ERA, with eight complete games and five shutouts. In 67 innings of work, the staff has struck out 110, with 20 hits, seven runs, four earned and opponents just.093 against them.
Stephanie VanBrakle leads the team with a 5-0 record, five complete games and three shutouts. In 33 innings of work, she has 67 strikeouts and opponents just .094 against her.
Following the Alabama game, Southern Miss will travel to Jacksonville on Thursday, to compete in the Jacksonville University hosted Best Western Invitational. The Lady Eagles meet Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday at 3:30, before facing Jacksonville and Armstrong Atlantic on Saturday at 10:30 and 6 p.m., respectively. On Sunday, the team will either play at 10:30 a.m., (No. 3 vs. No. 4 seed) or 12:30 p.m. (No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed).
