University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Set To Compete In Gator Invitational
3/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 2, 2006
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Southern Miss softball team will compete in the University of Florida hosted Gator Invitational this weekend, as it concludes a nine-game week with six games at the Florida Softball Field.
All of the games can be heard on the Southern Miss ISP Sports Network by logging on to SouthernMiss.com, with Softball SID Jared Florreich providing the play-by-play. Live stats will also be available on GatorZone.com.
This will be the second time Southern Miss will compete in the Gator Invitational, as it also played in the tournament in 2003, posting a 2-2 record.
The Lady Eagles face Seton Hall and Central Michigan on Friday, at 10 a.m., and 12:15 p.m., respectively. Southern Miss faces Seton Hall for the first time in school history, while meeting Central Michigan for the second time. The two schools met at the Speedline Tournament in Clearwater, Fla., last season, with Central Michigan winning a 4-3 game in nine innings.
On Saturday, the team faces Central Michigan at 9 a.m., before meeting tournament host Florida at 11:15 a.m. It will be the second meeting in school history against Florida, with the Lady Gators holding a 1-0 series advantage, winning 7-0 in 2003.
Southern Miss closes out the Gator Invitational on Sunday, facing Seton Hall and Florida at 8 a.m., and 12:30 p.m.
The Lady Eagles enter the tournament with a 10-11 overall record, following a 4-1 defeat to No. 20 Auburn on Wednesday in Gainesville. Southern Miss swept McNeese State in a doubleheader on Tuesday, 4-0 and 10-2.
Southern Miss hits .238 as a team, with 85 hits, 115 runs, 31 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 69 RBI, 53 walks and 35 stolen bases.
Sophomore Jennifer Fox, the current Conference USA Hitter of the Week, leads the team with a .364 batting average, 20 hits, 31 total bases, three home runs and 15 RBI, which ranks second in Conference USA. Fox had a big game two against McNeese State on Tuesday, finishing with two home runs, including a grand slam and two-run, which tied a school record, matching 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). Fox also finished with six RBI on the night, which also tied a school record, matching Courtney Blades' (Georgia Tech, 3/10/99).
Seniors Charity Butler and Jessica Huerta each lead the team with six doubles, which is tied for the Conference USA lead. while Huerta and Ashley Brenan are tied for the team lead with 13 runs scored. Sophomore Allison Bullard leads the squad with two triples, while Brenan has a team-best 14 walks and 12 stolen bases, which leads Conference USA.
In the circle, Southern Miss has a 3.79 ERA, with 12 complete games and four shutouts. In 131.0 innings pitched, the staff has allowed 120 hits, 80 runs, 71 earned, walked 89, struck out 89, while opponents hit only .243 against it so far this season.
Freshman Lacey Gros leads the team with a 6-6 record and seven complete games. In a staff-high 74.2 innings of work, she has struck out a team-best 74, which also leads Conference USA. Opponents are hitting just .219 against her on the season.
Gros and senior Danielle Wymer are tied with a 3.47 ERA. Wymer has won her last four starts.
Central Michigan enters the tournament with a 1-4 record. The Chippewas hit .187 as a team, with 18 runs, 23 hits, four doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 10 walks and one stolen base.
Amy Hudson leads the team with a .400 batting average, with a team-high six hits in 15 at-bats. Lindsey Calme and Stephanie Crews lead the team with three RBI, while Hudson, Chivon Kloepher, Jacque Benedict and Christan Dhondt each have one double on the season.
In the circle, the staff has a 6.19 ERA, with one complete game. In 31.2 innings of work, it has allowed 42 hits, 34 runs, 28 earned, walked 30, struck out 22, while opposing teams hit .328 against it on the season.
Jessica Garvin, the current Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week, leads the staff with a 1-0 record and 1.91 ERA. She has thrown a team-high 11.0 innings, allowing nine hits and three runs, while walking nine and striking out 10. Opposing batters hit .265 against her this season.
Seton Hall enters the tournament with a 4-4 record. The Pirates hit .232 as a team, with 41 runs, 46 hits, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, 33 RBI, 33 walks and nine stolen bases.
Caitlin White leads the team with a .462 average, 12 hits, 11 runs and six stolen bases. Katie Pierce has a team-best five doubles and 10 RBI.
In the circle, the Pirates have a 3.71 ERA, four complete games and one shutout. In 51.0 innings, it has allowed 53 hits, 42 runs, 27 earned, walked 36 and struck out 39. Opposing teams hit .266 against it so far in 2006.
Florida enters the tournament with a 12-5 record and are receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA and USA Softball/ESPN.com polls. Florida defeated then No. 1 Michigan on Feb. 18, 3-2.
The Lady Gators hit .285 as a team, with 95 runs, 129 hits, 17 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 91 home runs, 53 walks and 17 stolen bases.
Kim Waleszonia leads the team with a .340 batting average. Lindsey Cameron has a team-high 20 hits and 16 runs. Kristen Butler has a team-best eight home runs and 18 RBI.
In the circle, the team has a 2.46 ERA, eight complete games and two shutouts. In 133.2 innings of work, it has allowed 119 hits, 57 runs, 40 earned, walked 34, struck out 83, while opposing teams hit .264 against it on the year.
Stacey Stevens and Stacey Nelson each have 4-1 records, while Lindsey Littlejoh and Stevens lead the team with 28 strikeouts. Littlejoh has a team-best 2.01 ERA and opponents hit .252 against her on the year, while Nelson has thrown a team-best 42.1 innings.
Following the Gator Invitational, Southern Miss travels to Starkville, Miss., to meet in-state rival Mississippi State on March 8 at 4 p.m. Southern Miss then returns home to host Marshall on March 11 and 12, as Conference USA play begins. Game times for those games are 1 and 3 p.m., on March 11, with a 12 p.m., contest on March 12.
