MOREHEAD, Ky. – One day after mustering the biggest known comeback in school history, the Morehead State softball team could not find a way to capitalize off that magic as it fell in two extra-inning games in Saturday's action of the Eagle Hub City Classic at the Southern Miss Softball Complex in Hattiesburg, Miss.
In the opener, MSU got outstanding pitching from freshman starter
Allicen Harris and junior reliever
Ainsley Stubbs, and pounded out 11 hits, but could not prevent host Southern Miss (11-8) from scoring in the bottom of the 10th inning to claim a 4-3 victory.
The Golden Eagles scored in the bottom of the first on a two-out infield single.
Morehead State (1-11) responded in the top of the fourth after senior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell walked, junior catcher
Sydney Farmer doubled to right field, sophomore designated player
Victoria Spencer singled through the right side to score Campbell, and redshirt sophomore left fielder
Marie Perdew doubled down the left-field line to drive in Farmer.
The hosts answered benefited by an error and a two-out single to tie the game in bottom of the inning.
The Eagles responded to retake the lead when junior center fielder
Maddy Christopher led off with a bunt, moved to second on a sacrifice, advanced to third on a ground out and then scored when Campbell singled through the right side. The visitors came close to adding another run after Farmer doubled to right-center field to push Campbell to third and Spencer was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a ground out ended the threat.
Southern Miss picked up singles in the fifth and sixth but was unable to tie the score until the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff double and a pair of sacrifices did the trick. The Golden Eagles added a single and a walk but could not plate the winning run.
Neither team could get a hit in the eighth. In the top of the ninth, junior second baseman
Sage VanDemark singled to center field but was out during the next at bat on a fielder's choice.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hannah Christian recorded her third hit of the day, Abbi Troquille walked and an error on a fielder's choice leaded the bases. However, Christian was thrown out at the plate by junior first baseman
Noemye Letendre and then Harris struck out Paris Ferguson to extend the game to the 10th.
Using the international tiebreaker rule in which a runner was placed on second base, Farmer led off with a single but was thrown out trying to extend the play. An infield pop out and a fly ball to center field ended MSU's at bat.
With Ferguson placed on second base, the Eagles retired the next two batters. Then Christian singled to the circle to load the bases, before Troquille drew a walk to push in Ferguson.
Morehead State finished with 11 hits but committed two costly errors. Farmer finished 3-for-5, with a run to lead the team at the plate. Christopher and VanDemark both added two hits. Campbell, Spencer and Perdew also recorded hits. Campbell, Spencer and Perdew each drove in runs, while Christopher and Campbell each scored.
Southern Miss finished with 12 hits and did not commit an error.
Christian finished 4-for-6 to pace the hosts. Troquille, Jolie Hays, Chloe Miller and Nealy McManus all added a pair of hits. Ferguson and Christian both scored twice.
Both teams struggled to get runs home, with the Eagles leaving 11 runners on and the Golden Eagles stranding 12.
Harris started the game and threw for seven innings, surrendering two earned runs (three total) on 10 hits, while striking out four and walking one. Stubbs suffered the loss to drop to 1-5, despite not giving up an earned run and only allowing two hits in two and two-thirds innings of work. She finished with five strikeouts and three walks.
Southern Miss used four pitchers. Natalie Herrington started and lasted an inning and a third. She was responsible for six hits and two runs, both earned. Hays threw for three and a third innings, giving up one run on one hit, with two strikeouts and two walks. Olivia Christian entered for the next two and a third innings and retired all eight batters she faced. Kayla Giardina collected the win to improve to 6-2 after pitching the final three innings. She gave up two hits and a walk. She did not allow a run and struck out five.
