University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 20
Ruston, La. / Dr. Billy Bundrick Field
6 p.m.
Southern Miss
7-6
2
at
1
Louisiana Tech
10-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Southern Miss.
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
9
0
Louisiana Tech
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
5
0
Softball Prevails Over Louisiana Tech Off of Kayla Giardina’s Complete Game
2/20/2026 10:49:00 PM | Softball
RUSTON, La. -- Southern Miss softball (7-6) takes the first game of three in a weekend series against Louisiana Tech (10-3) off the back of Kayla Giardina who threw a complete game with seven strikeouts.
Giardina, with seven strikeouts, was just two strikeouts short of tying a career high of nine strikeouts with her complete game on the evening. The righty walked just one batter in 93 pitches and 26 batters faced.
In the first, the Golden Eagles were the first to record a hit on the night cap off a two out single from Carrie Green. Giardina then made quick work of the top of the order in the bottom of the frame, after giving up a leadoff single, with a popup and two strikeouts.
The Bulldogs strike first in the bottom of the fourth after both starters face little resistance through the second and third innings with two more strikeouts tacked onto Giardina's total. Louisiana Tech's Allie Furr came up big knocking an RBI single through the right side for a 1-0 lead.
After a pitching change for the Bulldogs, Kinsley Gordon-Sivley hits a leadoff double to the left center gap. Madison Johnson utilizes a SAC bunt from Nealy McManus, which moved Gordon-Sivley to third, with a knock to center to tie the game up 1-1.
Giardina found her tempo again recording a one, two, three outing in the bottom of the fifth off a foul out and two ground outs. Southern Miss increased the pressure off a Gordon-Sivley single to left bringing in pinch runner Jadyn Rausch, who replaced Kayce Bennett on the base path, resulting in a 2-1 lead for the Golden Eagles.
Sophomore Giardina picked up one last strikeout in the sixth before closing the game out with a three-up three-down seventh.
Notables:
Giardina, with seven strikeouts, was just two strikeouts short of tying a career high of nine strikeouts with her complete game on the evening. The righty walked just one batter in 93 pitches and 26 batters faced.
In the first, the Golden Eagles were the first to record a hit on the night cap off a two out single from Carrie Green. Giardina then made quick work of the top of the order in the bottom of the frame, after giving up a leadoff single, with a popup and two strikeouts.
The Bulldogs strike first in the bottom of the fourth after both starters face little resistance through the second and third innings with two more strikeouts tacked onto Giardina's total. Louisiana Tech's Allie Furr came up big knocking an RBI single through the right side for a 1-0 lead.
After a pitching change for the Bulldogs, Kinsley Gordon-Sivley hits a leadoff double to the left center gap. Madison Johnson utilizes a SAC bunt from Nealy McManus, which moved Gordon-Sivley to third, with a knock to center to tie the game up 1-1.
Giardina found her tempo again recording a one, two, three outing in the bottom of the fifth off a foul out and two ground outs. Southern Miss increased the pressure off a Gordon-Sivley single to left bringing in pinch runner Jadyn Rausch, who replaced Kayce Bennett on the base path, resulting in a 2-1 lead for the Golden Eagles.
Sophomore Giardina picked up one last strikeout in the sixth before closing the game out with a three-up three-down seventh.
Notables:
- The Golden Eagles improve to 13-25 all time and 5-10 in Ruston, La. against the Bulldogs
- Southern Miss has a 3-2 record in one run games on the season
- Kinsley Gordon-Sivley picks up her fifth multi-hit game of the season
- Carrie Green and Gordon-Sivley have a six-game hitting streak
- Giardina improves to a 3-1 pitching record
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Giardina, Kayla (3-1)
L: R. Fidge (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Christian, Hannah 1 ; Coker, Issie 1 ; Gordon-Sivley, Kinsley 1
RBI: Johnson, Madison 1 ; Gordon-Sivley, Kinsley 1
SH: McManus, Nealy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rausch, Jadyn 1 ; Gordon-Sivley, Kinsley 1
CS: Johnson, Madison 1
Batting:
RBI: A. Furr 1
Base Running:
RUNS: B. Gallaway 1
SB: C. Bennett 1
CS: E. Heng 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
C/OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF/UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/UTL
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