Friday, February 7
Clearwater, Fla. / Eddie C. Moore Complex
3 p.m. CT
Southern Miss
0-1
2
vs
12
Nebraska
1-0
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Southern Miss
1
1
0
0
0
2
3
1
Nebraska
4
2
0
2
4
12
12
1
Softball Ends Opening Day on High Note With Victory Over Marshall
2/7/2025 9:05:00 PM | Softball
CLEARWATER, Fla.-Following a season-opener loss to No. 16 Nebraska, Southern Miss Softball (1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) concluded its opening day at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. with a 6-2 victory over conference opponent Marshall.
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The Golden Eagles picked up their first win of the season led by the efforts of senior designated player and pitcher Jana Lee, who threw her 14th career complete game. The 2024 Second Team All-Sun Belt honoree threw 88 pitches, allowing seven hits and just one earned run with seven strikeouts, her most since Feb. 25, 2023 against Yale and one shy of tying her career high. Lee also recorded a hit and RBI in the match.
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Game One: No. 16 Nebraska 12-Southern Miss 2
Southern Miss started the day with a tall task against nationally-ranked Nebraska, who were on the heels of a 7-2 victory versus No. 5 Tennessee Thursday evening.
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While Southern Miss gained the advantage first in Friday's opening game, the Cornhuskers fielded 12 hits offensively on the way to a 12-2 win through five innings.
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The Golden Eagles opened the match with two consecutive walks from Jana Lee and Natalie Taylor, on one out, leading to Maddie Weeks' sacrifice fly for the team's first run of the season.Â
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Southern Miss' lead was shortlived, as Nebraska answered in the bottom of the frame with four runs, starting with an RBI single from Jordyn Bahl, who then scored on a passed ball moments after. Kacie Hoffman rounded out the inning with a 2 RBI single for the Cornhuskers.
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Southern Miss earned all three of its hits in the second inning, including doubles from Ryanna Valdivia and Hannah Christian, as well as a single from Carrie Green, though Nebraska stranded two runners to prevent any runs.
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After a two-run homer from Emmerson Cope in the bottom of the second, Nebraska tacked on another two runs from Cope;s RBI single and an RBI single from Olivia DiNardo. The Cornhuskers ended the match after five innings with a grand slam from Ava Kuszak.
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Junior pitcher Natalie Herrington received the loss in her debut performance. The Petal, Miss. native and Pearl River College product threw 1 â…” innings before being relieved by freshman Kayla Giardina, who tallied her two first career strikeouts.
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Two of Southern Miss' hits were career firsts as Green and Christian both reached base safely in their collegiate debuts.
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Friday's match marked the first time Southern Miss and Nebraska had met since 2003 when the Cornhuskers won 5-0 in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Game Two: Southern Miss 6-Marshall 2
Southern Miss rebounded in its final game of the day against Marshall, backed by Lee's performance in the circle and an offensive outbreak in the second and third innings.
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Redshirt freshman catcher Kayce Bennett shone in the match, registering her first career hit and finishing the night with a game-high three hits.
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Bennett first singled to centerfield in the top of the second, setting up the team's first home run of the season. Senior Ryanna Valdivia then launched a ball over the fence on a two-run shot, registering her first career home run to give Southern Miss a 2-0 lead.
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Marshall narrowed the gap with an RBI double in the following frame, but the Golden Eagles kept their momentum at the following at-bat.
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After two Marshall errors, Lee hit an RBI single to score Paris Ferguson. Maddie Weeks sent two runners home on a 2 RBI single to increase the team's lead to 5-1.
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Marshall tallied one run in the fourth, but could not scratch any more as Lee worked through the game, ending the fifth and sixth innings with strikeouts. Lee and the Golden Eagles retired the side in order to confirm the team's first victory of the season.
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Up Next
Southern Miss returns to action Saturday, facing Pittsburgh at 11 a.m. CT and Kentucky at 2 p.m. CT.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kylee Magee (1-0)
L: Herrington, Natalie (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Christian, Hannah 1 ; Valdivia, Ryanna 1
RBI: Weeks, Maddie 1 ; Ferguson, Paris 1
SF: Weeks, Maddie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Green, Carrie 1 ; Valdivia, Ryanna 1
Batting:
2B: Jordy Bahl 1 ; Abbie Squier 1
HR: Ava Kuszak 1 ; Emmerson Cope 1
RBI: Ava Kuszak 4 ; Jordy Bahl 1 ; Emmerson Cope 3 ; Olivia DiNardo 1 ; Kacie Hoffman 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ava Kuszak 2 ; Jordy Bahl 3 ; Emmerson Cope 1 ; Dakota Carter 1 ; Samantha Bland 1 ; Abbie Squier 1 ; Kacie Hoffman 1 ; Katelyn Caneda 1 ; Natalia Hill 1
SB: Mckinley Malecha 1
HBP: Ava Kuszak 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
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