Golden Eagle Softball Shuts Out No. 25 LSU, 7-0
3/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2011
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![]() Brittany Lilly recorded her second home run of the season ![]() | ![]() |
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 7-0 win over No. 25 LSU Wednesday night at the USM Softball Complex in front of a record crowd (847).
With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 9-13 while snapping a 17-game losing streak against LSU. The last time a Southern Miss team defeated LSU was May 21, 2000, in the championship game of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regionals.
"We are excited about the win against LSU," Coach Howard Dobson said. "We played some tough teams out in California. I thought at times we played well and we just didn't come out with a W. We seemed to fall a little bit short whether it's a pitch short here, hit short there or an error that cast us. Tonight we came out and played error free, pitcher threw great and the hitters stepped up. We did all three facets of the game tonight."
Sophomore Beth Dietrich (4-6) earned the complete game shutout win allowing only four hits, striking out five and walked only two batters. Meghan Patterson (5-1) took the loss for the Tigers pitching 3.2 innings giving up three runs on five hits.
Southern Miss got on the board in the home half of the first inning when leadoff batter Leslie LeJune led off with a walk and advanced to second on a Taylor Brown's fielder's choice. Patterson retired the next two batters on strikeouts before Michelle Takeda singled up the middle to plate LeJune in giving USM the 1-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles added a run in the bottom of the second on a solo blast by Brittany Lilly.
After Jill Mathis led off with a single in the third, LSU had a pitching change as Brittany Mack came in relief of Patterson.
LSU threaten in the visitor's half of the fourth when Ashley Langoni singled to left in recording the Tigers' first hit of the game. Anissa Young followed with a base hit, pushing Langoni to third. Pinch runner Alex Boulet stole second to place runners at second and third with only one out, but Dietrich got Tammy Wray looking, before Lauren Houston grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Golden Eagles put up five runs in the bottom of the fifth as Mathis was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Takeda had an RBI single. Britney Dinelt then ripped a double down the left field line. Southern Miss loaded the bases when Chanell Thurman was hit by a pitch. After LSU's Patterson re-entered the game she then gave up a bases loaded walk to pinch hitter Danielle LaPointe. Lilly recorded her second hit of the game with a blooper to right to score Dinelt. LeJune worked the count full before earning a RBI walk to score Thurman. Brown's sac fly scored pinch runner Kacie Eich.
Heading into the sixth, the Tigers got the leadoff batter on with a walk. Langoni grounded out to third as Heidi Pizer advanced to second. Young reach base after being hit by a pitch. Dietrich then got Wray to hit into a fielder's choice to third as Lilly got the lead runner, then, Houston grounded out to third to end the inning.
Southern Miss finished with seven hits led by Lilly and Takeda with two hits each. Mathis, LeJune and Dinelt also recorded hits.
The Golden Eagles travels to Birmingham, Ala., to open Conference USA play against UAB on Saturday in a double-header beginning at 1 p.m.