University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Continues Homestand Against No. 5 Louisiana
3/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss softball team returns to action this weekend as the Golden Eagles welcome the No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns to the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The series starts with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 5 at 1:00 p.m. and concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Live stats and in-game tweets (@SouthernMissSB) will be available throughout the weekend. Live video and audio will also be provided. Kyle George will handle the play-by-play duties on Saturday, while Drew Granger will have the call on Sunday afternoon.
Southern Miss enters the weekend with a 12-8 overall record, including a 5-1 mark at home. The Golden Eagles are coming off of a doubleheader sweep of Alcorn State on Wednesday. The Black and Gold have won four consecutive games entering the series with the Cajuns.
In the twin bill against the Lady Braves, the Golden Eagles posted an 8-5 victory in game one before blanking Alcorn State 11-0 in five innings in the night cap.
As a team, the Golden Eagles batted .422 on the night, going 19-for-45 with a pair of doubles and a triple. The Black and Gold scored 19 runs with 19 RBI. Bailey Stokes finished the double dip 3-for-3 with a double and three walks on the night, while Morgan McKeever was 4-for-5 overall with a triple and a team-best six RBI. Sarah Evans finished with three hits, including a double and five RBI and a team-best three runs scored. Rachel Johnson and Tori Dew each added two hits apiece.
In the circle, Southern Miss' four pitchers combined for a 2.33 earned run average. The Golden Eagles pitching staff struck out nine batters while walking six.
In game one, three pitchers took the circle for Southern Miss. Samantha Robles earned the start. The redshirt sophomore allowed one run on seven hits in 4.0 innings of work with no walks and six strikeouts. She gave way to Jillian Johnson who tossed 2.0 innings allowing four runs (three earned runs) on five hits with three walks and a strikeout. Meredith Miller entered the circle for the first time at home. The true freshman allowed one hit and a walk with a strikeout in 1.0 scoreless innings.
In game two, Danielle Block went the distance in the run-rule victory. The junior did not allow a run in 5.0 innings. Block allowed three hits without an extra-base hit with two walks and a strikeout. The shutout was the first of the season for the Golden Eagles and the third complete-game shutout of Block's career.
Louisiana-Lafayette enters the weekend series 14-1 overall and ranked No. 5 in the ESPN / USA Softball Collegiate poll and No. 6 in the USA Today / NFCA top 25 poll.
The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 41-3 (.932) advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1987. Louisiana-Lafayette has won the last 16 meetings between the two teams. The last victories for the Golden Eagles in the series came at the Lady Vol Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1999. Louisiana-Lafayette is 12-1 (.923) in Hattiesburg.
