Softball Takes Down Chattanooga on the First Game of the Hub City Classic

Friday, February 27

Hattiesburg, Miss.

4:30 p.m.

Southern Miss

9-8

Chattanooga

8-9-1

Chattanooga

Southern Miss.

Softball Takes Down Chattanooga on the First Game of the Hub City Classic

2/27/2026 9:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss softball (9-8) defeats Chattanooga (8-9-1) with a 6-0 victory on Friday evening, the first day of the Hub City Classic, at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. Kayla Giardina picks up her first seven inning complete game shutout of the season and her fourth complete game on the night.

Six different Golden Eagles picked up an RBI for the 6-0 win over the Mocs with Kayla Giardina improving to a 5-2 record by fanning seven batters through seven innings and 85 pitches.

Giardina, coming off a midweek and her third complete game of the season at Nicholls, got right back to it with an opening strikeout and two fly outs to close out the top of the first followed by a three-up three-down second to pick up two more strikeouts. Madison Johnson was the first to strike, on the offensive side of the ball, picking up an RBI SAC fly to center bringing Jolie Hays in to score.

The right-hander, Giardina, mirrored the top of the second by fanning a batter to start and finish the top of the third inning with back-to-back three-up three-down frames.

Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Kayce Bennett showed discipline drawing a leadoff walk attempting to get a rally to extend the lead. Chattanooga's Taylor Long was able to maintain control after a one-out single from Kinsley Gordon-Sivley moved Jadyn Rausch to second, who pinch ran for Bennett, with a flyout and a strikeout.

The Golden Eagles exploded in the bottom of the sixth, after Giardina recorded her third three-up three-down inning in the fifth and facing only four in the sixth. The five-run frame was led off by Jolie Hays, drawing a walk followed by Gordon-Sivley reaching on a bunt single with Julia Glasgow finding a way on from an error to Chattanooga's Long. Emma Day brought in Hays with a fielder's choice RBI to shortstop. Hannah Christian and Carrie Green both bring in a runoff a bases-loaded walk separated by an Abbi Troquille RBI single that moves everyone a bag. The inning is capped off with a SAC fly from Bennett extending the lead to 6-0.

Giardina completed the complete game shutout allowing a one-out single, the third hit for the Mocks of the game, followed by a strikeout and a foul out to end the first day of the Hub City Classic.

Notables

The Golden Eagles recorded the 11th error-less game of the season, matching last season's total through 52 games
Kayla Giardina picked up her first seven inning complete game shutout, with the sophomore getting a five-inning shutout against SEMO to open the season.
With the addition of two SAC flies and one SAC hit, the Golden Eagles lead the Sun Belt in SAC flies (11) and are tied-for first in SAC hits (12)
Kayla Giardina picks up her second consecutive complete game victory of the season, in both games she didn't walk a single batter
Southern Miss walked six times on the evening now ranked second in the Sun Belt for walks with 69, trailing ULM by three

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