HATTIESBURG, Miss. – In its first game played in the state of Mississippi ever, App State Softball's bats never came alive as it was shut out by the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 3-0 on Friday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. It's the first time that the Mountaineers have been shut out since Feb. 16 and just the third time this season that a team has blanked App State.
Despite outhitting their opposition 5-4 in Game 1, App State (20-24, 10-9 SBC) couldn't find the big one as it was held without an extra-base hit in the game. The Mountaineers came into the game as one of the top slugging teams in the Sun Belt Conference, but the Golden Eagles' (22-24, 9-9 SBC) starting pitcher Kayla Giardina was solid and kept the App State bats off balance all night. It was only the sixth time this year that App State didn't record an extra-base hit in a game.
Although she took the loss, left-handed pitcher
Sophie Moshos performed well in the circle for the Mountaineers as she tallied her 10th complete game of the season and struck out four hitters. Moshos finished her outing by tallying four consecutive scoreless innings after allowing three runs through the first two frames. With 107 strikeouts for the year, Moshos sits just five away from eighth place on App State's single-season strikeouts list.
How it Happened
Makayla McClain started the game off strong by punching a single into center field to lead off the contest. She immediately stole second base, her 10th of the season, putting a runner in scoring position for
Macy Hamby. Facing some early trouble, the Golden Eagles did well to keep App State off the board as they left McClain at third base by retiring the next three hitters.
Southern Miss responded to the scoreless inning by scoring twice in the bottom of the inning. A walk to lead off the game put a runner on, and despite nabbing the next two hitters, a two-out, two-run home run put the Golden Eagles on top after one.
Madison McIntyre drew a walk to mark the second Mountaineer baserunner of the game in the second inning, but Southern Miss kept the Mountaineers at bay. Another two-out RBI by the Golden Eagles made it 3-0 after two complete innings.
The Mountaineers threatened in the top of the third inning, seeing a bunt hit by
Summer Simpson and a single up the middle by
Macy Hamby put two runners on for the middle of the order. But the Golden Eagles again held serve as a flyout and a fielder's choice sent action to the bottom of the inning.
Moshos threw up a zero in her third inning, working around two walks to do so. Neither team recorded a baserunner in the fourth inning, which quickly moved the game to the fifth inning with the score still 3-0 in favor of Southern Miss.
Julia Girk recorded App State's fourth hit of the game in the top of the fifth inning, shooting a single into right field with nobody out. She then stole second base, her 17th swipe of the season, and advanced to third base on a flyout by Simpson with one out. With a runner on third base, Southern Miss collected itself and retired the next two hitters to keep App State scoreless. The Mountaineers batted 1-16 with runners on base in the game as Southern Miss showed poise on defense to stifle the Mountaineers.
App State's defense kept the Golden Eagles in check in the fifth inning, and
Leah Gore tallied a single to start the sixth inning. Again seeing traffic on the basepaths, the Golden Eagles retired the next three hitters to take things to the bottom of the sixth with Southern Miss on top by three.
Another scoreless frame put up by Moshos progressed the game to the final inning, but Giardina finished what she started and sat down App State in the seventh to win the game. It was the fourth shutout thrown by Southern Miss this season.
Friday Notes
Home runs
App: N/A
USM: Lee (7)
WP: Kayla Giardina (7-4): 7 IP, 5 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP:
Sophie Moshos (13-8): 6 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts
Up Next
The Mountaineers and Golden Eagles will square off in the middle game of their three-game series on Saturday. First pitch from Game 2 is slated for 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT). Game 2 can be streamed on ESPN+.
