University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball To Face Nationally Ranked Auburn On Wednesday
3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team, fresh off a doubleheader sweep of McNeese State on Tuesday, travels to Pensacola, Fla., to face No. 20 Auburn in a 5 p.m., contest on the campus of the University of West Florida.
The game can be heard on the Southern Miss ISP Sports Network by logging on to SouthernMiss.com, with Softball SID providing the play-by-play.
This will be the first meeting between the two schools, as Southern Miss will play a nationally ranked team for the fifth time.
Southern Miss enters the game with a 10-10 record, winning nine of its last 11 games. The Lady Eagles enter the game with a .240 team batting average, with 84 runs, 110 hits, 30 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 68 RBI, 51 walks and 34 stolen bases.
Sophomore Jennifer Fox, the current Conference USA Hitter of the Week, leads the team with 20 hits, three home runs, 31 total bases and 15 RBI on the season. On Tuesday in game two against McNeese State, Fox hit two home runs, one a grand slam and a two-run shot, matching the school game record for the sixth time, joining Kenya Peters (UAB, 4/23/00 and New Mexico, 2/24/01), Amy Berman (Stephen F. Austin, 2/20/99), Sarah Boyd (Oregon, 2/27/04) and Ashley Davis (Saint Louis, 3/19/05). She finished game two against the Cowgirls with six RBI, which also tied a school record, matching Courtney Blades' (Georgia Tech, 3/10/99). Charity Butler and Jessica Huerta are tied for the team lead with six doubles, while Huerta leads the team with 13 runs, while Ashley Brenan leads the squad with 11 stolen bases and 13 walks.
In the circle, the team has a 3.75 ERA, with 12 complete games and four shutouts. In 125 innings of work, it has allowed 114 hits, 76 runs, 67 earned, 85 walks, 105 strikeouts, while opposing teams hit .242 against it so far this season.
Freshman Lacey Gros leads the staff with a 3.30 ERA, 6-5 record, seven complete games, 70 innings pitched and 73 strikeouts, while opposing batters hit only .215 against her on the year. Gros pitched her first career shutout in game one against McNeese State, allowing one hit, while striking out eight.
Auburn enters the game with an 11-3 record and comes off a 1-0 loss to No. 5 Michigan on Tuesday.
The Lady Tigers hit .339 as a team, with 96 runs, 132 hits, 19 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 83 RBI, 44 walks and 23 stolen bases.
Sara Ghezzi leads the team with a .406 batting average and four home runs on the season. Holly Currie has a team-high 17 RBI, while Taryn Gray leads the squad with 17 hits and is tied with Tatiana Fernandez with four doubles. Ashley Griffin has a team-best 12 runs scored.
In the circle, the team has a 1.11 ERA, with 11 complete games, six shutouts, 94.1 innings pitched, 50 hits, 24 runs, 15 earned, 149 strikeouts and 45 walks. Opposing teams have hit .156 against it this season.
Currie, the current SEC Pitcher of the Week, leads the staff with a 0.77 ERA and 7-1 record, six complete games and four shutouts. In 54.2 innings pitched, she has allowed 20hits, six runs, six earned, walked 25 and struck out 99. Opposing batters are hitting .113 against her this season.
Following the Auburn game, Southern Miss travels to Gainesville on Thursday, to compete in the Gator Invitational hosted by The University of Florida on Friday-Sunday. On Friday, the team faces Seton Hall and Central Michigan at 11:15 a.m., and 1:15 p.m., respectively, before facing Central Michigan and Florida at 10 a.m., and 12:15 p.m., on Saturday. Southern Miss closes the tournament on Sunday, facing Seton Hall and Florida at 9 a.m., and 1:30 p.m., respectively.
