University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Travels To In-State Rival Mississippi State Wednesday
3/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 6, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team travels to Starkville on Wednesday to meet in-state rival Mississippi State in a 4 p.m., contest.
The game can be heard on the Southern Miss ISP Sports Network, with Softball SID Jared Florreich providing the play-by-play. Live stats will be available at this link, http://live.mstateathletics.com/2005/sb/game/xlive.htm.
Wednesday's game marks the 32nd meeting between Southern Miss and Mississippi State, with the Lady Bulldogs holding a 23-9 series advantage.
Mississippi State has won the last three meetings, including the past two in Starkville. Southern Miss' last victory in Starkville came in 2002, a 7-2 victory. Wednesday will also mark the first of two scheduled meetings between the two schools, as the Lady Eagles host Mississippi State in Hattiesburg on March 30.
The Lady Eagles enter the game following a nine-game last week, and enter the game with a 12-15 record.
As a team, Southern Miss hits .241, with 157 hits, 103 runs, 37 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 84 RBI, 69 walks and 45 stolen bases.
Sophomore Jennifer Fox leads the team with a .347 batting average, 26 hits, 16 RBIs, 40 total bases and three home runs. Senior Charity Butler leads the team with seven doubles, while sophomore Allison Bullard and senior Ashley Davis are tied for the team lead with two triples. Senior Ashley Brenan leads the squad with 13 stolen bases and 19 walks.
In the circle, Southern Miss has a 3.48 team ERA, 14 complete games and four shutouts. In 175 innings pitched, it has allowed 165 hits, 103 runs, 87 earned, walked 108, struck out 135 and opposing teams hit only .250 against it so far this season.
In the circle, freshman Lacey Gros leads the staff with an 8-8 record, 3.27 ERA, 92 innings pitched and 90 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .221 against her on the year. The Lady Eagle pitching staff is getting healthy, as freshman Samantha Davis made her career debut last week, appearing in four games, tossing 14.2 innings, allowing nine hits and one run, walking one and striking out seven. Sophomore Krystal Crooks, who had off-season shoulder surgery, made her season debut with two starts over the weekend.
Mississippi State enters today's contest with an 18-3 record and holds a 10-0 record in Starkville so far this season. The Lady Bulldogs opened their season 16-0, highlighted by a victory over No. 13 Washington on Friday, before going 2-3 in their last five games.
As a team, the Lady Bulldogs hit .291 as a team, with 97 runs, 150 hits, 29 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 84 RBI, 60 walks and 36 stolen bases.
Hayle Guess leads the team with a .470 batting average, 31 hits, seven doubles, three triples, 14 stolen bases and 21 runs, while Courtney Bures has a team-best 20 RBI. Guess and Bures each lead the team with two home runs.
In the circle, Mississippi State has a 1.16 ERA, 19 complete games and eight shutouts, In 139 innings of work, it has allowed 86 hits, 26 runs, 23 earned, walked 27 and struck out 120. Opposing teams are hitting just .175 against it on the season.
Stephanie Comeaux has a 10-0 record in the circle to lead the Lady Bulldogs. In a team-best 65 innings of work, she has allowed 39 hits, nine runs, eight earned, walked 12, struck out 49, while opposing team are hitting .176 against her. Ragan Blake has an 8-1 record and team-high 67 strikeouts.
Following the Mississippi State game, Southern Miss begins an eight-game homestand, as it hosts Marshall for a three-game series this weekend, as Conference USA action begins. Game times are set for 1 and 3 p.m., on Saturday, with the series finale set for 12 p.m., on Sunday.
