University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, April 12
Southern Miss Softball Complex
6 p.m.
Southern Miss
vs
Georgia State
Softball Hosts Georgia State in Conference Duel
4/11/2024 10:00:00 AM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (17-20, 5-7 Sun Belt) returns home to host Georgia State (10-28, 1-11 Sun Belt) this weekend, starting Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m.
Southern Miss Schedule
Friday, April 12
ESPN+: https://es.pn/3vCftzl
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/3VRdUYH
Saturday, April 13
ESPN+:https://es.pn/3JaaEjR
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/4aO9ruk
Sunday, April 14
ESPN+:https://es.pn/3Ua3QsA
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/4aET7fu
The Golden Eagles are returning from a road series against Coastal Carolina, the first road trip to Conway, S.C., in program history.
The Chanticleers won the series with two wins on Friday and Sunday, but the Golden Eagles held onto an early lead for an 11-9 victory on Saturday.
An eight-run third inning backed Southern Miss' victory as the team's bats erupted for a season-high 14 hits, the most since April 23, 2022, against UTSA (20 hits). The game also marked the tenth time this season that the Golden Eagles have recorded ten or more hits.
Designated player Jana Lee led the team with three hits, tying a career-high along with three RBI, as Ryanna Valdivia also set a new career mark with three hits. For the second consecutive game, Hannah Borden also registered two hits and Kinsley Gordon recorded her third multi-hit game of the season with two hits.
Before traveling to Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss picked up a home win in a midweek contest against Nicholls last Wednesday. Despite trailing throughout the contest, the Golden Eagles made a comeback with five runs in the sixth inning off of four consecutive base hits to decide the contest 5-3.
Lee earned two wins in both of Southern Miss' victories last week, improving her season record to 6-5, the most wins for the Golden Eagles.
Southern Miss Notables
- Southern Miss' season-high 14 hits Saturday also marked the tenth time this season that the Golden Eagles have recorded ten or more hits.
- Southern Miss' 126 walks rank second in the Sun Belt. Borden leads the team with 16 walks, followed by Natalie Taylor's 15 and Maria Smith's 14.
- With five hits last week, graduate student catcher Hannah Borden set a new career-high for most hits in a season with 48 hits and counting, which is also tied for third-most in the Sun Belt. Borden ranks second in the conference with 12 home runs, which is also three shy of tying the program record for most in a single season. Borden's .390 batting average also ranks third among starters in the conference.
- With two hits last week, junior outfielder Natalie Taylor tied her career-high of 31 hits this season, the total she produced in 46 games last season. Taylor has also tied her career-best of seven doubles and has set a new personal mark with 20 RBI this season.
- Five Southern Miss batters have posted an above .300 batting average through 12 conference games: Borden (.447), Jana Lee (.436), Shelby Allen (.318), Ryanna Valdivia (.316) and Taylor (.306).
Scouting Georgia State
- Georgia State is led by third-year head coach Angie Nicholson.
- Georgia State enters the weekend on a four-game skid, including nine consecutive conference losses in its last three series against Georgia Southern, James Madison and Marshall.
- Three Panthers notched three home runs in a 9-8 loss to Marshall last Sunday.
- Chloe Middlebrooks leads the team with 33 hits, followed by Chloe Nadler and Jaycee Goodwin's 29 hits. Nadler paces the team with a .341 batting average.
- Sydney Boulware leads Georgia State's pitching staff with a 5-11 record in 27 appearances. Boulware has posted a 4.76 ERA through 111.2 innings thrown, allowing 129 hits and 76 earned runs, while fanning 91 batters.
Georgia State Series History
The all-time series between the programs is tied at 4-4. The Golden Eagles traveled to Atlanta, Ga. last season to play the Panthers for the first time since 1999, winning the series with a 4-1 rubber match victory to close the regular season.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Players Mentioned
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INF
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/ SoftballLetter to Softball: KK Agner
Sunday, April 28
Letter to Softball: Caroline Worrell
Sunday, April 28
Letter to Softball: Hannah Borden
Sunday, April 28
Letter to Softball: Maria Smith
Sunday, April 28