University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball To Compete In Jacksonville/Best Western Invitational
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 23, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Southern Miss softball team hits the road again this weekend, as it competes in its third tournament of 2006 at the Jacksonville/Best Western Invitational.
The team will face Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne at 3:30 p.m., on Friday, before facing Jacksonville and Armstrong Atlantic at 10:30 a.m., and 6 p.m., on Saturday. 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). Southern Miss will face all three team for the first time in school history this weekend.
Southern Miss enters the tournament with a 5-9 overall record and is on a three game winning streak, highlighted by a victory over No. 7 Alabama on Wednesday, thanks to a bases loaded, two-out RBI single by Jessica Huerta. It was Southern Miss first victory over a ranked team since defeating No. 21 USF 10-9 on March 22, 2003 in Hattiesburg. It was also Southern Miss' first victory over a top-10 team since defeating No. 10 DePaul, 3-0, in Chicago, on April 14, 2001, and the highest defeat of a ranked team since defeating No. 6 Alabama in the Women's College World Series on May 27, 2000, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ashley Brenan continues to lead Southern Miss with a .355 batting average, 11 hits, seven walks and seven stolen bases. Allison Bullard and Jennifer Fox each have 10 hits on the season, while Kristin Pilgrim has a team-high six RBI.
Lacey Gros has a team-best 4.14 ERA, 4-4 record and four complete games. She has thrown a team-high 49 innings, 54 strikeouts and opponents hit only .232 against her. Gros got her fourth win of the season on Wednesday against No. 7 Alabama, allowing only four hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out five.
Armstrong Atlantic enters the tournament with a 1-3 record and hit .255 as a team, with 24 hits, 13 runs, four doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, 17 walks and three stolen bases.
Ashley Bain leads the team with a .500 batting average and six hits on the season. Veronica Castro has a team-high two home runs, while Amber Hunt has a team-best four RBI.
In the circle, Armstrong Atlantic has a 6.09 ERA and two complete games in 23 innings of work. Opposing teams have a .333 batting average against it so far this season.
Rachel Koening-Eng has a team-best 3.82 ERA and 1-1 record, and has one compete game. She has thrown 11 innings, allowed 13 hits, eight runs, six earned, three strikeouts and opponents are hitting .271 against her this season.
Jacksonville enters the tournament with a 4-10 record, following a doubleheader split against Florida State on Wednesday. The Dolphins hit .205 as a team, with 67 hits, 30 runs, 16 doubles, three home runs, 25 RBI, 29 walks and 10 stolen bases.
Kacey Yourous leads the team with a .314 batting average and 11 hits. Janie Palumbo has a team-high five RBI, while Lindsey Freitag has a team-best four doubles.
In the circle, the team posts a 3.53 ERA, with five complete games and one shutout. In 87.1 innings pitched, it has allowed 103 hits, 59 runs, 44 earned, with 59 strikeouts. Opposing teams hit .299 against them on the season.
Shannon Jenson has thrown a team-high 46 innings and leads the team with 34 strikeouts.
Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne has yet to play this season, and will be making their 2006 debut in the Best Western Invitational. The Mastodons finished 14-35 in 2005.
Following the Best Western Invitational, Southern Miss returns home to play a doubleheader against McNeese State on Feb. 28, set for 4 and 6 p.m.
