Southern Miss
Mcneese State
Softball Holds Off McNeese For 4-3 Win
2/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2011
AUBURN, Ala. - The Southern Miss softball team held off a seventh inning rally by McNeese State in posting a 4-3 victory Sunday morning in the Tiger Invitational to finish with a 2-2 record.
Beth Dietrich (2-2) earned the win in going the distance for Southern Miss (5-4). She allowed on walks and gave up only two hits through six innings. McNeese's Kayla Shepherd (1-3) took the loss giving up five hits, but one was a three-run home run.
"We did a good job coming out early and scoring in the first inning which we hadn't done very often," Coach Howard Dobson said. "That's what we've been preaching, come out be dominate in the circle and set a tone defensively and offensively. We did that. I think we had plenty opportunities to probably put the game away, but we left some runners on base in scoring position. We battled. We got people on base and Jill hit's a big three run homer for us."
Southern Miss put a run on the board first when Leslie LeJune drew a walk and scored off a Taylor Brown double to center. The Eagles failed to take advantage of with runners at second and third as Shepherd got the final three outs that included two strikeouts.
Both pitchers settled into a rhythm and kept base runners to a minimum for the next three innings. The pitchers allowed a combined three runners to reach base.
"We have to do a better job of making adjustments because she beat us on a couple of pitches," Dobson said. "Beth did a great job of keeping them in check the whole game. They didn't get their hits until the end of the game. A couple of those hits were just out of our reach. They had bases loaded with one out and Beth showed how resilient she is. She fought her way out of it and threw to their three and four-hole hitters."
Heading into the bottom of the fifth and holding on to a 1-0 lead, Brittany Lilly got the Eagles' going with a leadoff base hit to center. LeJune followed with a bunt single. Brown reached base on a fielder's choice to set up Jill Mathis' three-run bomb that hit off the scoreboard.
McNeese threatened in the visitor's half of the sixth when pinch hitter Katie Shumaker reached base on an Eagle error and moved to second on a single by Lindsey Langner. But the Golden Eagle defense held and got out of the inning.
The Cowgirls rallied in the top of the sixth by scoring three runs. Dietrich retired the first batter on a groundout. Kelsey McClain reached base after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kim Kennedy then singled to center to send McClain across for the first run. Dani Price doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on the throw as Kennedy scored all the way from first. Alanna Divittorio got on base courtesy of another Eagle error and Price scored, making it 4-3 with only one out. Claire Terracina followed with a base hit up the middle. The Cowgirls then loaded the bases on when laid down a bunt for a single. Dietrich was able to work her way out when she got the three and four-hole batters to foul out to first to end the game.
Southern Miss will travel to Starkville, Miss., for a mid-week contest against Mississippi State on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
