University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
33-24
(5) South Alabama
30-25
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Alabama | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 0 |
| Southern Miss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Softball’s Postseason Run Halted by Jaguars at Sun Belt Conference Championship
5/7/2026 10:55:00 PM | Softball
LAFAYETTE, La. — Fourth-seeded Southern Miss softball (33-24, 14-11 Sun Belt) fell to fifth-seeded South Alabama (29-25, 14-11 Sun Belt) 13-0 through five innings in the quarterfinal round at the Sun Belt Conference Championship on Thursday evening.
The Jaguars jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first, after an error and a three-run homer from Lillie Stagner capped off the four-run frame. South Alabama maintained the lead for the remainder of the game with First Team All-Sun Belt pitcher Ryley Harrison picking up her 16th win of the season.
The Golden Eagles utilized Kayla Giardina, McCall Davis, Madilyn Graham and Briley Whittington in the circle. Giardina suffered the loss, going 3.1 innings and allowing just one earned run.
Kinsley Gordon-Sivley got on base in the bottom of the second with a single to left-center. Issie Coker followed with a shot to center field, but it was tracked down by Presley Lively.
Giardina worked through the third inning with three fly outs, two to right field and one to left field. In the bottom of the frame, Nealy McManus worked the count for a leadoff walk. Hannah Christian tried to sneak one through the infield but reached on a fielder's choice with Harrison shutting the door with a strikeout.
South Alabama tacked on another run in the fourth inning with a double to the left-center gap, bringing the score to 5-0 Jaguars. Southern Miss battled back in the bottom of the inning with Julia Glasgow working the count full for a leadoff walk. Kayce Bennett and Gordon-Sivley attempted to spark a rally, but both reached on a fielder's choice to third, unable to sneak it through.
The Jaguars erupted in the top of the fifth for an eight-run inning on seven hits and closed the game out 13-0 with a three-up three-down bottom of the fifth, sending South Alabama to the semifinals.
Southern Miss concludes its season with its most regular-season wins since 2010 and the most conference wins since 2016. Natalie Herrington and Paris Ferguson conclude their careers in the Black and Gold.
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: Ryley Harrison (16-12)
L: Giardina, Kayla (17-10)
Batting:
2B: Kara Wine 1 ; Ansleigh Smith 1
HR: Lillie Stagner 1
RBI: Presley Lively 1 ; Kara Wine 2 ; Gracie Dees 2 ; Lillie Stagner 4 ; Ansleigh Smith 2
SH: Caitlyn Gavin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Presley Lively 1 ; Kara Wine 1 ; Olivia Branstetter 2 ; Virginia Mambelli 1 ; Reganied Franka 1 ; Gracie Dees 2 ; Gracie McDonald 1 ; Lillie Stagner 2 ; Ansleigh Smith 1 ; Brooklynn Bockhaus 1
HBP: Virginia Mambelli 2
