Southern Miss missed another opportunity to gather momentum heading into the conference tournament starting on May 11 by dropping a conference series against Louisiana Tech, 2-1.
After sweeping North Texas on April 17, the Golden Eagles could not recapture that offensive magic against the Lady Techsters.
The Golden Eagles’ offensive struggles were exemplified in this series, as the team scored only two runs in two games in the series. Only in game two did the Golden Eagles go above the status quo and score six runs in an offensive display where they accumulated 13 hits.
In game one of the series, Samantha Robles was tested on the mound. She gave up five runs on six hits. She also walked three batters in her 3.2 innings of work.
Southern Miss struck first on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to put the Golden Eagles up 1-0. The Lady Techsters would strike back often after falling down to the early deficit.
Louisiana Tech scored seven straight runs throughout the contest until Southern Miss answered back in the seventh inning with one run on three hits of their own. The Golden Eagles lost 7-1 and looked for redemption in the game two doubleheader.
The Golden Eagles tore offensively in the second game of the series, led by lead-off hitter Lauren Holifield who had three hits and two RBIs in the contest. She led her team to a 6-1 win over the Lady Techsters with the help of Danielle Block who turned in a dominating pitching performance.
The Golden Eagles went on offensive tears in both the third and fourth innings, lifting Southern Miss to take a five-run cushion on the Lady Techsters.
Block shut out the Lady Techsters through six innings. She did give up six hits, but only gave up one run in the sixth inning. She was replaced by Robles, who closed out the game not giving up a single hit.
Game three was crucial for both teams, and the Golden Eagles struck first on the scoreboard.
After two singles by Michelle Stringer and Bailey Stokes, the Golden Eagles drove in two runs on an error by Louisiana Tech, putting the score at 2-0 heading into the third.
The Golden Eagles were held in check for their part of the third inning, but their counterparts would not be. The Lady Techsters scored four runs on four hits in just the third inning alone. The score was a mere 4-2, but the Golden Eagles would not relinquish the lead again.
Robles turned in a solid performance for the box score, but the offense on the other side was not productive enough to clinch a second series in a row for USM. Robles gave up four runs, four hits and three walks, putting her record for the season at 15-10.
Southern Miss will travel to Ita Bena, Mississippi to play Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
