Following a postponement due to the threat for inclement weather on Saturday, the Southern Miss softball team split a doubleheader Sunday against Jacksonville State on Sunday in Oxford, Alabama.
In the first contest of the day, Jacksonville State opened the game with a two-RBI double to center field that gave the Gamecocks a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning.
Freshman Kaitlyn Passeau tied the game up for the Golden Eagles in the top of the second inning with a two-RBI single to left field that tied the game up at 2-2.
Both teams played scoreless third, fourth and fifth innings, but Jacksonville State regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run.
In the top of the seventh, Southern Miss gained its first lead of the game on an RBI double by sophomore Alyssa Davis that also scored sophomore Destini Brown and redshirt junior Beth Taylor.
Leading 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Eagles were unable to hang on for the win, as Jacksonville State had a two-out walk-off RBI double that drove in two runs and gave the Gamecocks a 5-4 win.
Junior pitcher Abby Trahan is now 2-3 on the year following the loss. In 6.2 innings pitched, Trahan allowed nine hits, five runs and registered a season-high nine strikeouts.
Davis finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Senior Samantha Papp also registered two hits in the contest. Overall, Southern Miss registered seven hits against the Gamecocks in game one.
Jacksonville State opened game two of the doubleheader with an RBI single in the second inning. However, Southern Miss responded in the top of the third inning with three runs off of a double by freshman Madison Rayner and a two-RBI triple from senior Sarah Van Schaik.
Southern Miss also responded with a four-run fifth inning to expand its lead to 7-2 over the Gamecocks. Rayner, Brown, Taylor and junior Lacey Sumerlin all scored for the Golden Eagles in the inning. Though Jacksonville State added two runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning,
Southern Miss responded once again in the top of the sixth inning with three more runs. A Sumerlin walk with bases loaded allowed Rayner to score, which was followed by RBI singles by Davis and Papp. Southern Miss held the Gamecocks scoreless in the final inning to hold on for the win.
Offensively, the Golden Eagles recorded 10 hits in the contest, compared to 11 for Jacksonville State.
Freshman Makenna Pierce got the win for the Golden Eagles in the circle for game two. Pierce pitched 3.1 innings and allowed five hits, two runs and struck out 3 batters. Fellow freshman Kaylan Ladner pitched three innings and allowed six hits, two runs and had five strikeouts on the game. Junior Bailie Springfield also made an appearance in the contest, pitching 0.2 innings and facing two batters.
Southern Miss is now 8-5 on the year following the doubleheader. The team returns to the Southern Miss Softball Complex on Feb. 27 for a single game against Southern. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
