Softball Stuns No.24 Texas State in Series Opener

Friday, April 26

Southern Miss Softball Complex

6 p.m.

Southern Miss

21-24, 0

Texas State

37-13, 0

Texas State

Southern Miss

Softball Stuns No.24 Texas State in Series Opener

4/26/2024 9:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (21-24, 9-10 Sun Belt) knocked off No. 24 Texas State (37-13, 13-6 Sun Belt) 9-3 Friday night to begin its final home series of the season.

With the win, Southern Miss snapped a four-game skid and earned its first win against a ranked opponent since a 5-4 victory against No. 4 Florida on March 2, 2022.

"I am just really excited about how we came out tonight," head coach Natalie Poole said. "It feels really good to just come out and be able to execute the things that we needed to and not make the moment too big, but to think about what it was going to take to make it happen tonight."

As the Golden Eagles scored nine runs, the second most the team has scored this season in conference play, starting pitcher Holly Craft backed the team's performance with her second complete game of the season.

Craft allowed four hits, three earned runs and five walks through seven innings, while recording a career-high five strikeouts in her second win of the year. The Golden Eagles handed Jessica Mullins, the Sun Belt's winningest pitcher, her seventh loss of the season.

Southern Miss jumped out to an early lead after an error from Texas State and then an RBI single from Maria Smith in the first inning. While Sara Vanderford tied the match in the third inning with a two-run home run shot, the Golden Eagles never trailed and soon found a way back into the lead in historic fashion.

On the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth, Hannah Borden launched a solo home run over left field, setting the program's single-season record with 16 home runs. Borden broke Amy Berman's record of 15 home runs in 1999, which stood for 25 seasons. The graduate student catcher also holds the program's all-time home run record, standing at 48 home runs through her tenure at Southern Miss.

"She's just seeing the ball really well and feeling confident. Even if she gets to the plate and doesn't have a great at-bat, then she feels confident to make the adjustment that's necessary," Poole said. "I am really proud of her for just staying after it and not making hte moment too big. She found a way to do it and achieve something that's been in the record books for 25 years. It's legendary."

The Bobcats tied the match again in the fifth on a sacrifice fly, but Southern Miss erupted for a four-run inning the following frame. After Karsen Pierce entered the circle for the Bobcats, Kinsley Gordon and Mikaila Fox reached base on an error and fielder's choice. Maddie Weeks
scored Gordon with an RBI single to take the lead.

After Texas State intentionally walked Borden, Jana Lee hit a three-RBI double with bases loaded, breaking Southern Miss' lead open to 9-3.

Craft retired the side in order in the sixth, and while the Bobcats drew one walk in the seventh, a fielder's choice to shortstop cemented Southern Miss' victory.

Gordon and Weeks led the Golden Eagles with two hits apiece. The match marked Weeks' second consecutive match with two hits, coming off a multi-hit performance against Ole Miss Tuesday.

Borden also drew two walks in the match, surpassing Jessica Huerta for the second-most walks in program history (103).

Up Next

Southern Miss will continue its series against Texas State with a match tomorrow at 2 p.m.

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