Southern Miss
McNeese State
Softball Sweeps Doubleheader from McNeese State
3/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 5, 2008
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss played at home for the first time in almost three weeks when they entertained McNeese State in a doubleheader at the school's Softball Complex.
The Lady Eagles treated their home fans to a pair of victories that included a 4-2 triumph in the opener and a 10-2 decision in five innings in the nightcap. Southern Miss snapped a seven-game losing streak in the process.
"It was obviously nice to break that streak, but actually it was great to play at home in front of our fans for the first time in a while," Southern Miss coach Howard Dobson said. "We needed a little spark before we start conference play this weekend at home against Tulsa."
Southern Miss (11-10) jumped out to an early lead in the opening game, as Lauren Castellvi delivered a two-out, run-scoring single to put the home team on the board. The Lady Eagles extended the lead with three more runs in the third. After a leadoff triple from Brittney Pigott, the home team made two outs.
Castellvi then reached on a fielding error that allowed Pigott to score. Castellvi scored one batter later as Brandi Alonzo doubled her home. An RBI single by Ashlyn Harmon to score Alonzo finished the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
MSU (7-18) got a solo run on an RBI single by Megan Beard in the fourth and then added its other run in the fifth on a throwing error by Southern Miss.
USM starting pitcher Hannah Griffin (2-1) registered the victory in the opening game by allowing a run on eight hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Cowgirl starter Michelle LaVoie (5-8) allowed just one run over six innings on eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts to suffer the loss.
In the nightcap, Southern Miss scored seven runs over the first two innings to cruise in the victory.
Kristin Pilgrim drove home three runs as she notched a two-run double in the second and a solo home run, her second of the year, in the fourth.
Harmon tallied the big-hit in the four-run first inning with a two-run double. Brittney Pigott added an RBI double and Samantha Fox forced home a run on an error in the opening frame.
The Lady Eagles secured the five-inning victory as pinch hitter Brittney Jones led off the bottom of the fifth with a hard-hit single into leftfield. After a pair of outs, Allison Bullard blasted a MSU pitch over the leftfield wall to end the game on the eight-run rule. For Bullard it was her first home run of the season.
Samantha Davis limited the Cowgirls to a run on three hits and a walk over four innings with four strikeouts to earn the victory and improve to 3-4. Carmen Sittig (0-2) allowed seven runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks to suffer the loss.
The Lady Eagles return to action this weekend when they entertain Tulsa in a three-game, C-USA opening series. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., and conclude with a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
