University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Begins Seven Game Homestand, Hosts Nicholls State Wednesday
3/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 28, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -
Nicholls State-Southern Miss Game Notes
The Southern Miss softball team begins a seven-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting Nicholls State in a doubleheader set for 5 and 7 p.m. Wednesday's doubleheader will also open a six-game week for Southern Miss.
The games can be heard on the Southern Miss ISP Sports Network, by logging on to SouthernMiss.com, with Jason Baker providing the play-by-play action. Live stats will also be available on SouthernMiss.com.
Southern Miss and Nicholls State meet for the 39th and 40th time Wednesday, with Nicholls State holding a 33-5 series advantage. Southern Miss holds a 3-1 series advantage since the softball program was reinstated in 1999, winning a pair of games in Hattiesburg in 2001, before the two schools split two games in the last meeting in 2004, Southern Miss winning 1-0 before Nicholls State claimed a 6-4 victory.
Southern Miss, under the direction of sixth year Head Coach Gay McNutt, enters Wednesday's doubleheader off a Conference USA series victory over UTEP and currently stands 17-21 overall on the year. The team has won its first two Conference USA series' of the year and are currently 4-2 in league play.
The Lady Eagles hit .243 as a team, with 228 hits, 146 runs, 47 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 118 RBIs, 105 walks and 63 stolen bases.
Sophomore Jennifer Fox continues to lead the squad in multiple categories, including batting average (.352), hits (37), home runs (six), RBIs (25) and total bases (63) and hit safely in all five games last week.
Senior Ashley Brenan tied a school record with two home runs in the team's last outing against UTEP and currently leads Conference USA in league games with a .563 batting average. Brenan also leads Southern Miss with 25 runs scored, 26 walks and 17 stolen bases. Senior Charity Butler leads the team with 10 doubles, ranking third in Conference USA in that category.
In the circle, Southern Miss has a 3.26 ERA, with 16 complete games, five shutouts and two saves. In 251 innings of work, it has allowed 237 hits, 156 runs, 117 earned, walked 150, struck out 178, while opposing teams hit .247 against it on the year.
Freshman pitcher Lacey Gros has a team-best nine wins and 17 starts. In 121 innings of work, she has allowed 95 hits, 66 runs, 54 earned, walked 80 and struck out a staff best 112. Freshman Samantha Davis earned two wins against UTEP, and has a 0.95 ERA and 3-1 record in 36.2 innings of work. She has one save and 16 strikeouts on the year. Sophomore Krystal Crooks earned her first career save against UTEP.
Nicholls State, under the direction of fourth year head coach Jenny Parsons, enters the game with a 9-19 record and is on a two-game winning streak, its best of the year.
The Lady Colonels hit .265 as a team, with 190 hits, 107 runs, 41 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs, 97 RBIs, 53 walks and 17 stolen bases.
Kathryn Harrell has a team-best .428 batting average, 38 hits, 20 runs, two triples, eight stolen bases and 60 total bases on the year. Harrell is tied for the team lead with Leah Peterson and Amy Thibodeaux with four home runs on the season, while Peterson has a team-best nine doubles.
In the circle, the four armed staff has a 5.84 ERA, with 13 complete games and one save. In 175.2 innings of work, it has allowed 198 hits, 153 runs, 114 earned, walked 94, struck out 116, while opponents hit .272 against it on the year.
Krystalin Ensminger leads the staff with a 4-5 record and six complete games. In 58 innings of work, she has allowed 53 hits, 46 runs, 30 earned, walked 34, struck out 45, while opposing batters hit .229 against her on the year.
Following Wednesday's doubleheader, Southern Miss hosts in-state rival Mississippi State on Thursday, in a single-game contest set for 6 p.m. The Lady Eagles will also be at home this weekend, hosting UCF in a doubleheader on Saturday set for 1 and 3 p.m., while the series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m.
