Southern Miss
UCF
Softball Eagles Suffer Two Tough Losses To UCF
3/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 27, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team suffered two tough losses in Conference USA action Saturday, losing to UCF 7-4 in game one and dropping game two 3-2 in nine innings.
Southern Miss falls to 12-13 and 0-5 in league play while UCF improved to 21-12 and kept its lead in the standing at 6-1.
Game Two
UCF scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to take the game two, 3-2, in extra innings. UCF's Kristina DeMello (4-4) got the win going the distance giving up two unearned runs on seven hits. USM's Gabby Luciani (4-5) took the loss for the Golden Eagles working all nine innings as well.
The UCF started put two runs on the scoreboard in the first inning as Natalie Land started the one-out rally with a single to left then stole second. Hillary Barrow followed with a single up the middle, moving Land to third. Barrow also stole second. Arielle Palafox then singled to left, scoring Land, but an alert Barrow also scored when the Eagles didn't get the ball back in the infield quickly.
LeJune singled up the middle to start the bottom half of the frame. DeMello then settled in as she got Stephanie Shiflet on a strikeout before Jill Mathis grounded into an inning ending double play.
Luciani found her rhythm as well as she retired six consecutive batters before allowing a hit in the fourth.
The Golden Eagles threatened in the bottom of the third as Thurman and Castellvi posted back-to-back singles. A deep fly ball moved Thurman to third and Castellvi got to second on a pass ball. Shiflet drew a walk to load the bases, but Mathis went down swinging to end the threat.
DeMello regained her control and did not allow an Eagle base runner over the next two innings.
Southern Miss finally got things going, scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 2-2. LeJune led off with a walk and moved to third on a single by Shiflet and an error by the third baseman. Shiflet then stole second. Hill followed with a singled up the middle to score LeJune and move Shiflet to third. Logan James then singled through the infield to score Shiflet as Hill moved to third. UCF's DeMello then got Hurley to foul out to second and struck out Roosmalen.
UCF threatened in the seventh, putting two runners on, but the inning ending when a UCF runner was called out for leaving early.
DeMello made quick work of the Eagles in bottom of the inning, retiring all three batters.
The Knights got two hits in the eighth but the Eagles were able to keep UCF from capitalizing on the two hits.
Southern Miss got a runner in the bottom half of the frame when Hill registered a single but was left stranded.
In the final inning, DeMello was able to retired the final three batters to secure the win.
Both teams return to action Sunday for the final game of the series. First pitch is schedule for noon at the USM Softball Complex.
