Southern Miss
East Carolina
Southern Miss Splits Twinbill with East Carolina
3/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 14, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - After getting no-hit in the first game, Southern Miss bounced back in Game Two to split a twinbill with East Carolina at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. ECU took the first game, 2-1, before the Lady Eagles came away with a 6-3 victory in Game Two.
In the second game, the teams battled through the first three innings, not allowing a run. But Southern Miss struck in the third. With one out, Stephanie Shiflet singled to center. Courtney Hill followed with a single up the middle and took second on the throw as Shiflet went to third. Leslie LeJune then hit a sharp grounder to the pitcher, and Shiflet took off for home, getting caught in a rundown. Hill moved to third as Shiflet was tagged out trying to get back to third, allowing LeJune to get to second. Megan Hill then gave Southern Miss its first lead of the day, singling up the middle and driving in Courtney Hill and LeJune. Ashley Razey ended the inning grounding to third, but not before the Lady Eagles took a 2-0 lead.
East Carolina got one back in the top of fourth. After Charina Sumner grounded to second, Jessica Johnson singled up the middle. Marina Gusman-Brown doubled off the wall in left center bringing in Johnson. Angel Barrella followed with a walk, Courtney Ramos retired the next two batters stranding runners at second and third, but ECU cut pulled within 2-1.
In the fifth, Sarah Bibee hit a leadoff double to the left field wall. However, Kaui Tom struck out, and Sissy Jimenez and Sumner flied out to center and right, respectively, keeping the Southern Miss lead at one.
Courtney Hill led off the bottom of the fifth with a sharp single that got by the third baseman. After Hill stole second, LeJune walked. Pilgrim singled past the second baseman to drive in Hill. Megan Hill then sent the third pitch over the left field wall to give Southern Miss a 6-1 lead. It was Hill's team-leading fifth home run of the year.
The Pirates cut the lead in half in sixth. Johnson drew a leadoff walk. Gusman-Brown followed by hitting a 2-2 pitch over the right center field wall. Ramos retired the next two batters. But Jillian Gallagher reached on a bunt single, and Sarah Bibee singled up the middle. However, Ramos struck out pinch-hitter Priscilla Velasquez to end the rally.
The Lady Eagles threatened again in the bottom half. Logan James led off with a single through the left side. Two outs later, Courtney Hill and LeJune recorded back-to-back walks, loading the bases. But Pilgrim grounded out to third, ending the inning.
East Carolina refused to go away. After Merrida led off the seventh grounding out to third, Sumner and Johnson hit back-to-back singles, bringing the tying run to the plate. But Ramos struck out Gusman-Brown, and Barrella hit a weak grounder to Ramos to end the game.
Ramos picked up her ninth victory of the year, striking out seven. Paisley went three innings in falling to 11-3.
In Game One, East Carolina got two runs in the first then held off a late Southern Miss rally as the Pirates no-hit the Lady Eagles, 2-1.
"Ramos came out and did a good job setting the tempo early on. We got on the board. They came back but we answered.
In the first game, East Carolina got things going in the top of the first. Christina Merrida worked a leadoff walk and Charina Sumner beat out a sacrifice bunt to put runners at first and second. After Jessica Johnson sacrificed them over, Marina Gusman-Brown doubled to the center field fence, driving in Merrida and Sumner. Stephanie Davis then retired the next two batters, but not before ECU took a 2-0 lead in the first.
Davis settle down in the second, retiring the side on five pitches. Tony Paisley, Davis' counterpart on the mound, began the game on fire, striking out five of the first eight Lady Eagles she faced and retiring the first ten.
ECU threatened in the third. With one out, Sumner doubled to the right center field gap and Johnson reached after taking a pitch in the right ankle. But Davis struck out Gusman-Brown, and Barrella forced Johnson out at second, keeping the deficit at two.
Southern Miss finally reached base in the bottom of the fourth. After Courtney Hill popped out, Leslie LeJune drew a five pitch walk. One out later, LeJune stole second. But Megan Hill popped out to second to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Paisley retired the first two Lady Eagles. Courtney Hill then reached when ECU shortstop Kaui Tom could not field her bunt attempt. LeJune earned her second walk, putting runners at first and second. However, Kristin Pilgrim hit a sharp line drive to third base that Cristen Aona snagged out of the air, ending the inning.
Southern Miss had one last chance in the seventh inning. After Megan Hill flew out to deep center, Ashley Razey was hit by a pitch. Lauren Castellvi then reached on a fielding error by Aona. The runners then advanced on a passed ball, putting runners at second and third with one out. Logan James drove in pinch runner Casey Jo Matthews on a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 2-1. But pinch hitter Alexis Hurley struck out to end the game.
"After the first two batters, Sam (Davis) held us there and gave us chance," said Dobson. If we could have pushed one through in the last inning, then all of a sudden it's tied."
Paisley struck out seven in the win to improve to 11-2, while Davis struck out three and fell to 3-6.
"I thought both pitchers came out today and threw well," said Southern Miss head coach Howard Dobson. "We're starting to show a little bit of our growth and maturity. We're starting to come through a little more and get better as we play. (East Carolina) is a good team. They were picked in the top two of the conference. That's a quality win for us. We stuck to the game plan and came through." The teams will return to the field for the series finale, tomorrow at noon.
