Southern Miss
Nicholls State
Southern Miss Gives Softball Coach Nice Birthday Present
2/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 13, 2008
THIBODAUX, La. - Southern Miss gave its softball coach a nice birthday present here Wednesday night.
The Lady Eagles, who won for the second straight-time and improved to 3-2 on the season, pounded out nine hits in a 5-3 victory over Nicholls State at the Colonel Softball Complex, as coach Howard Dobson celebrated his 35th birthday.
Leading 3-2 heading into the final frame, the Lady Eagles tallied a pair of insurance runs. With one out, Allison Bullard walked. Following a groundout, Kristin Pilgrim doubled home Bullard and scored one batter later on a single from Jennifer Fox.
"The momentum was huge for us to get back late in the game as it had started to switch the other way," said Dobson.
The Lady Eagles struck first with a pair of runs in the second.
With one out, Megan Hill doubled to center. A single by Logan James put runners on the corners before Brandi Alonzo plated Hill with a double. James then added her second run on a wild pitch by Colonel starting pitcher Lacey Gros.
"It was nice," Hobson added, about his team getting out to the early advantage. "We preach all the time about setting the tone and we try to win every inning."
It did not take long for NSU to cut the gap in the bottom of the frame as they tallied a solo run. After a walk and a fielders choice, a passed ball sent Danielle Clayton to second base, before pinch hitter Haley Burkett drove home Clayton with a single.
The Lady Eagles added another run in the fourth. James notched a one-out single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. After an infield flyout, pinch hitter Ashlyn Harmon singled in James from second.
Nicholls cut the gap again in the sixth on a single by Gabby Lemaire and its final run in the seventh on a RBI single from Amy Thibodeaux.
Freshman Meghan Harbuck (1-0) went the distance for the Lady Eagles as she allowed just one earned run on seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
The Lady Eagles return to action this weekend when they travel to Georgia for the Kennesaw State tournament. Southern Miss plays Appalachian State (9 a.m.) and Eastern Kentucky (11 am), Friday, and host Kennesaw State (11 a.m.), Saturday.
