Softball Hosts Nicholls in Midweek Contest

HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (13-15, 1-2 Sun Belt) returns from last week's road stretch to begin a five-game homestand, starting Wednesday versus Nicholls at 6 p.m.

The Golden Eagles enter the week following last week's 2-2 showing, winning a midweek contest at Alabama State in extra innings and earning their first conference win of the season at Georgia Southern 2-1 on Saturday in an 11-inning battle.

Southern Miss will now rematch Nicholls, who the Golden Eagles first met this season at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La., prevailing 7-0.

Game 29: Nicholls (10-16, 3-3 Southland) at Southern Miss (13-15, 1-2 Sun Belt)
Wednesday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m.
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Southern Miss Softball Complex
ESPN+: https://smttt.info/4hh2xAE
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/Stats

Southern Miss Notes

Southern Miss held off a late comeback from Alabama State Wednesday, winning with a go-ahead run in the eighth inning batted in by an RBI double from Hannah Christian. The Golden Eagles are 3-0 in games that have gone to extra innings this season.

Southern Miss' 2-1 win against Georgia Southern clocked at three hours and 13 minutes, the longest game of the season and the program's longest since a three hour and nineteen minute contest through 14 innings against LA Tech in 2017. The game was also just the seventh game to go to 11 innings in Division I softball this season.

The Golden Eagles extended their streak of double-digit hit games to five games against Alabama State with 13 hits. Georgia Southern snapped the streak Friday, ending it as the program's longest streak in over two decades.

Senior infielder Maddie Weeks' 11-game hitting streak, the longest of her career and one of the nation's longest streaks this season, ended Friday against Georgia Southern. During that streak, Weeks recorded 15 hits, including three doubles for six RBI and scoring eight runs.

Freshman pitcher Kayla Giardina continued her breakout freshman campaign in conference play, leading the Golden Eagles with a 1.24 ERA in 11 innings pitched in two appearances against Alabama State and Georgia Southern. Giardina allowed just five hits and two earned runs while tallying 16 strikeouts in week six. Giardina pitched in relief against Alabama State Wednesday, striking out the first eight batters she faced. Giardina gave up two earned runs, but held firm in extra-innings, leading Southern Miss to an 8-7 win and ending the night with a career-high nine strikeouts in the effort. Giardina followed her career performance with another gem in her first conference game, earning a 2-1 win in an 11-inning battle against Georgia Southern. Again coming in relief for starter Natalie Herrington, Giardina tossed 111 pitches in over seven shutout innings. She gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out seven Eagles. Giardina shut down Georgia Southern in extra innings with key strikeouts to end the eight, ninth and ten innings, giving the offense an opportunity to break through in the eleventh en route to earning her fourth career win in the circle.

Freshman outfielder Carrie Green led the Golden Eagles with five hits and three RBI in week six, recording a career-high four hits Wednesday at Alabama State. In four games, the left fielder batted at .417 with a .667 slugging percentage. Green became the first Golden Eagle to record four hits in a game this season and the first to notch three doubles in a game since 2014. Her three doubles are tied with 15 other players as the most in a single game in Division I softball this season. Her third double of the game set up the game-winning run that she scored after being driven in from fellow freshman Hannah Christian's RBI double. Green also stole her eighth base of the season against Georgia Southern Saturday and recorded 13 putouts defensively in the outfield for the Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss faced Nicholls on Feb. 21 at the LSU Invitational, earning a 7-0 shutout victory, backed by a complete game performance from Jana Lee and the season's first double-digit hit game offensively. Lee threw 86 pitches, striking out three batters while giving up just three hits. Christian went three for three at the plate with three singles and also stole a base, while Weeks registered her first multi-hit game of the season.

Christian leads the Sun Belt in HPBs, being hit by nine pitches this season.

Scouting Nicholls

Nicholls is led by first-year head coach Ron Frost. After serving as an assistant coach with the Colonels for three years, he was promoted to head coach following the 2024 season.

Claire Sisco leads Nicholls with 27 hits this season, Alley Moonham has recorded 20 hits, while Riley Rutherford, a Preseason All-Southland First Team selection, has 19 hits along with teammate Erin Krause. Sico's 15 walks ranks third in the Southland Conference this season

Molly Yoo leads the Colonels with a 4.06 ERA through 58.2 innings pitched, allowing 69 hits, 21 walks and 34 earned runs with 27 strikeouts. Yoo's five wins rank third in the Southland Conference.

Series History

Nicholls leads the all-time series 44-19, with the Golden Eagles having won the last two meetings and six of the last ten.

For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).

Softball Hosts Nicholls in Midweek Contest

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hannah Christian

Kayla Giardina

Carrie Green

Natalie Herrington

Jana Lee

Maddie Weeks

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Softball Hosts Nicholls in Midweek Contest

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hannah Christian

Kayla Giardina

Carrie Green

Natalie Herrington

Jana Lee

Maddie Weeks

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