Southern Miss
Jackson State
Softball Splits on Final Day of Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic
3/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score vs. Jackson State | Box Score vs. Nicholls
GULFPORT, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team finished the day 1-1, finishing on both sides of 3-2 decisions at the Gulfport Sportsplex in Gulfport, Miss. In the first game of the day, the Golden Eagles fell 3-2 to Jackson State, but rallied for a 3-2 come from behind victory in 11 innings against Nicholls in the nightcap.
The Black and Gold (10-5) received solid pitching throughout the day and produced enough offense to record the victory. In the circle, Jillian Johnson and Shelbee Rodgers combined for a 1.17 earned run average. Johnson, who earned her second victory of the season, worked a complete game, tossing 11.0 innings. She surrendered two runs (zero earned runs) on three hits with three walks and a career-high nine strikeouts. Rodgers allowed three runs on six hits in 7.0 innings of work. She walked a pair and struck out four, taking the hard-luck loss.
Offensively, the Golden Eagles received multiple hits on the day from Kaelyn Christofferson, Bailey Stokes, Morgan McKeever and Katie Cleary. The team tallied nine walks and were hit by five pitches. Christofferson led the team with a pair of runs scored and McKeever drove in a team-best two RBI. Rodgers, who entered the game as a pinch runner against Nicholls, scored what proved to be the winning run in the 11th inning.
Southern Miss returns to action on Wednesday, March 4, as the Golden Eagles take on Detroit in a midweek doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. Live stats and in-game tweets (@SouthernMissSB) will be available throughout the games.
Game One vs. Jackson State
In game one, the Golden Eagles missed several opportunities as Southern Miss left a season-high 11 batters on base, including seven runners in scoring position. Twice during the game the Golden Eagles failed to score with the bases loaded.
Jackson State was the first team to score, plating a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, the Lady Tigers used a bloop single and a walk to place a pair of runners on base. The Golden Eagles used a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. JSU successfully executed a double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Amy Lara tripled to right center field to score both runners and give the designated visiting team a 2-0 advantage.
Southern Miss chipped into the Jackson State lead with a run in the bottom of the third. Sarah Evans delivered a one-out single up the middle. Cleary followed with a single through the left side. On the play, Cleary tried to extend the play into a double and was caught in a rundown. During the rundown, Evans broke for home. The throw to the plate was in time, but an obstruction by the JSU catcher allowed Evans to score, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Christofferson dropped down a bunt single. She advanced to second on a wild pitch. McKeever followed with a RBI single to right center field, scoring Christofferson from second.
The game remained 2-2 until the top of the sixth inning as Jackson State scored a run to regain the lead. Lara singled to left field to being in the inning. She advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a ground out. With two outs, the Lady Tigers' Ashley Neal singled through the left side of the inning to score the lead runner. The Golden Eagles escaped the inning, catching Neal trying to steal.
The Golden Eagles were unable to score to tie the game or potentially take the lead, dropping a 3-2 decision to their in-state foe.
Game Two vs. Nicholls
In game two, the Golden Eagles battled even for 10 innings before taking the lead for good in the 11th and earning their 10th win of the season.
Neither team was able to scratch the scoreboard until Nicholls plated a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Colonels led off the inning with a single up the middle. The next batter attempted to drop down a sacrifice bunt, but an error by Southern Miss allowed both runners to reach safely. NSU successfully executed a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Nicholls took the lead on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning, Southern Miss pushed the tying run across the plate. Michelle Stringer reached on a fielding error by the Nicholls second baseman. Peyton Garner entered the game to run for Stringer and advanced to second base on a Christofferson sacrifice bunt. McKeever reached on a throwing error. On the play, Garner advanced to third and came around to tie the game at 1-1 on the error.
The Golden Eagles forced extra innings with a 1-2-3 inning by Johnson in the bottom of the seventh. The game remained tied at 1-1 in the eighth and ninth innings.
In the top of the 10th inning, Southern Miss was able to break the deadlock. With the international tie-breaker in effect, Christofferson was placed on second base. She advanced to third on a wild pitch and came in to score on a McKeever RBI single to center field. The lead was the first of the game for the Golden Eagles.
The lead didn't last long as Nicholls retied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the 10th. The Colonels used a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner placed on second base. Johnson fanned the next batter for the second out of the inning. With 0-2 on the batter, a pitch slipped out of the pitcher's hand, allowing the runner to score on the wild pitch. Johnson regrouped and struck out the batter on the next pitch and the game moved to the 11th inning.
In the 11th, Rodgers pinch ran and was placed on second base. Samantha Robles was hit by a pitch to give Southern Miss a pair of base runners with no outs. Stokes successfully dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Mallory Hayden drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Rodgers came home to score on a wild pitch, giving the designated visiting team a 3-2 advantage.
In the bottom of the inning, the Colonels used a single to place runners on the corners. Johnson induced a line out to McKeever at second base for the first out and caught a pop up for the second out. The Golden Eagles capped off the win with a lazy fly ball to Samantha Reynolds in left field, sealing the 3-2 victory.
