James Madison defeats Southern Miss in softball series opener, 15-9

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss softball fell to James Madison 15-9 Thursday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The Golden Eagles, with a 25-15 record, dropped to 6-5 in Sun Belt play, while the Dukes improved to 16-18 overall and 4-6 in conference.

James Madison took an early lead with a single and a walk to start the game. Kendra Lewis drove in two runs with a double, helping the Dukes jump ahead. They added eight runs in the second inning on back-to-back walks, an RBI single, a hit-by-pitch, and a series of hits including a three-RBI double, extending their lead to 10-1.

Southern Miss responded with a five-run bottom of the second, sparked by an error and a double from Nealy McManus. Hannah Christian drove in two runs with a double, and Julia Glasgow added an RBI groundout. The Golden Eagles pulled within four, trailing 10-6.

JMU’s Payton List hit a three-run home run in the fourth to push the lead to 14-6. Southern Miss rallied late, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Dukes held on. List closed the game with a perfect inning for the save.

Hannah Christian finished with two hits and one run, while Abbi Troquille contributed two runs scored. Kayla Giardina took the loss, falling to 11-6 on the season, though she pitched into the sixth inning.

Southern Miss will continue the series against James Madison on Friday at 4 p.m. The program’s latest updates are available on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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