HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss softball lost to McNeese State 8-6 Tuesday evening at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The Golden Eagles move to 6-6 on the season, while the Cowgirls improve to 8-4, according to team officials.
Nealy McManus drove in two runs for Southern Miss, with Carrie Green, Kinsley Gordon-Sivley, Abbi Troquille and Julia Glasgow each adding one RBI. Green’s triple helped the team tie for seventh nationally in triples with six this season.
Kayla Giardina started for Southern Miss, recording a quick three-up, three-down inning to open the game. Madison Johnson doubled in the first inning, but McNeese took an early lead after Rylee Cloud hit a two-run homer in the third, making it 2-0.
Southern Miss responded in the bottom of the third, with Green’s triple scoring Johnson. The game remained close after McNeese scored twice in the fourth, taking a 4-1 lead. The Golden Eagles rallied in the fifth, scoring three runs to tie the game, including an RBI single from Glasgow.
McManus then hit a bloop single to right field, driving in two runs to give Southern Miss a 6-4 lead. However, McNeese scored four runs in the seventh, including a double and a single, to secure the win. The Cowgirls finished with eight hits, while the Golden Eagles had ten.
Southern Miss has a .500 record at home against McNeese in 17 meetings. The teams have combined for 65 runs in their series, with Southern Miss winning two 10-2 games. The Golden Eagles are currently tied for seventh nationally in triples and lead the Sun Belt in walks, with 48, ranking tied for 14th nationally.
McNeese’s Olivia Christian pitched for the Cowgirls, earning the save, while K. Chapman took the win for McNeese. The Golden Eagles will next face Louisiana Tech on Friday.
