Southern Miss
Memphis
Southern Miss Falls to Memphis in 13 Inning Affair
3/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 31, 2012
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Southern Miss and Memphis battled through 13 grueling innings of softball and set a Memphis school-record for innings played on Saturday but it was the home squad that came away with the 3-2 victory at the Tiger Softball Complex on Saturday.
The game was a shutout for seven straight innings until Memphis plated the winning run in the 13th.
The Tigers (10-26, 1-9 C-USA) got one run in the bottom of the second when Alyssa Palmieri reached on a throwing error and came in two batters later on Ashleigh King's single down the left field line. Memphis threatened to add more runs in the inning but a near-diving defensive play by Omeshia Moffett in right field that doubled up the runner at second got the Golden Eagles out of the jam.
Southern Miss (10-19, 2-8 C-USA) had their best early opportunity to plate runs in the fourth and Chanell Thurman took advantage of the opportunity. With runners on second and third, Thurman got a two-out hopper that the shortstop threw into the fence to allow both runners to come in and make it 2-1 for the Golden Eagles.
Memphis tied the game up in the fifth inning after leadoff batter Morgan Mosby singled and was brought in on a sacrifice fly after two Golden Eagle fielding errors added to the cause.
In the seventh, the Golden Eagles got a pair of two-out base runners but left both stranded at second and first. Memphis responded with a walk and a single to put runners on the corners but things went awry for the Tigers.
From a 3-1 count, Sara Pearson lifted a ball high and deep to left field but Laura Curtis failed to tag at third before coming home for the would-be winning run, resulting in a Golden Eagle double play.
Memphis held the Golden Eagles off the bases in the eighth and loaded the bases in their half of the frame. The drama continued when Morgan Mosby's game winning one-out single through the right side hit the feet of Ashleigh King to record the out for interference and keep the run from scoring. Curtis followed with a fly out to right field to send the game to another set for extra innings.
In the bottom of the 13th, Memphis took advantage of another bases loaded situation, this time with no outs, and singled in a run to take the opening game 3-2.
Beth Dietrich (4-8) suffered the loss in relief of starter Courtney Ramos. Dietrich scattered 12 hits over six innings and struck out one batter. Ellen Roberts pitched the Tigers through a school-record 13 innings while allowing four hits. She struck out a career-high 13 batters.
Due to the length of the game, the scheduled doubleheader will be push back until tomorrow and will begin at 1 p.m.
