Southern Miss
Memphis
Southern Miss Softball Drops Doubleheader to Memphis
5/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss softball team dropped a Conference USA doubleheader, falling 4-1 and 4-3 to visiting Memphis Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles (17-36, 4-19) and the Tigers (34-11, 14-7) will meet in a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. in wrapping up the series. Southern Miss will honor its four seniors in a postgame ceremony.
In game one, Beth Dietrich struck out eight, but the Eagles tallied only three hits as Southern Miss fell, 4-1.
Even though Memphis loaded the bases in the top of the first, the Eagles were able to escape without allowing a run to cross the plate.
The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Kamri Chester led off the top of the fourth with a single to left and moved to second on a sac bunt. Alyssa Palmieri was hit by a pitch. After a double steal to put runners in scoring position, Nikki Moreno then singled to left to push Chester across and Palmieri at third. Pincher runner Shanna Brown stole second and after a pop out by Heather Mott, Lelani Bernardino drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Maddie McKinley's base hit up the middle drove home Palmieri and Brown for the 3-0 lead.
Southern Miss got a run back in the home half of the inning when Taylor Brown led off with a single. After one out, Jill Mathis beat the throw for an infield single to place two runners on with one out in the inning. Michelle Takeda followed with a base hit to left to load the bases. The Eagles scored when Chanell Thurman was hit by a pitch for the 14th time this season in recording a RBI. With the bases still loaded, Memphis' starter Carly Hummel retired the next two batters on strikeouts to end the inning.
The Tigers added a run in the sixth when Moreno homered over left field to make the score 4-1.
Dietrich (10-17-7) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits and striking out eight in 7.0 innings. Hummel (19-5) picked up the win, striking out seven and allowing only one earned run on three hits.
In game two, Jill Mathis registered her 10th home run of the season and four other Eagles collected a hit as the Golden Eagles took an early 3-0 lead, but the Tigers stormed back to win 4-3.
Southern Miss scored a run in the second when Mathis off the inning with a solo shot to center.
The Golden Eagles added two more runs in the home half of the third as Mackenzie Sher singled down the left field line to start the inning. Brittany reached on a sac bunt after a Tiger throwing error that put Sher at second. Leslie LeJune's blooped a ball into left but a head's up play by Memphis' Lelani Bernardino got the lead runner at third. Brown and LeJune moved up a base on a grounded out by Brown and scored off Britney Dinelt's single to left.
Memphis scored four runs in the top of the sixth on three hits and two costly Eagle errors. Heather Mott connected on a one-out homer to start the rally. Bernardino followed with a single just out of reach of the third baseman and advanced to second when the ball scooted away from the shortstop. Bernardino scored when McKinley put down a sacrifice bunt as the Eagles committed the first of two errors in the inning. Jessica Phillips reached base on a fielder's choice but another throwing error allowed McKinley to reach second safely on the play. Chester then singled down the left field line in sending McKinley home and pinch runner Shanna Brown to third while Chester got to second on the throw. After an Eagle pitching change, reliever Courtney Ramos got Moreno to foul out before Brown was able to get home on a pass ball for the 4-3 lead.
Memphis' Lauren Carley who came in relief of starter Janelle Valle went to work and allowed just one hit in the final two innings.
Gabby Luciani (2-7) took the loss, allowing four runs but only one was earned on four hits and striking out five in 5.1 innings of work.
Carley (6-4) got the win as she did not allow a run while surrendering only two hits in 4.1 innings.
