HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Madison Johnson had three hits to help Southern Miss beat Alcorn State 5-2 on Tuesday night at the USM Softball Complex.
The Golden Eagles (14-8) took an early lead with two runs in the first inning. Jolie Hays’ single with the bases loaded scored Hannah Christian, and Chloe Miller’s fielder’s choice RBI brought in Abbi Troquille for a 2-0 advantage.
Alcorn (9-9) tied the game with two runs in the fifth inning. Karmen Bernard’s single drove in Sanai Salvant, and Mariah Morgan’s single scored Jamyiyah Cotten, evening the score at 2-2.
Southern Miss responded in the bottom of the fifth, with Johnson leading off with a double. Christian’s single scored Johnson, and Troquille added an RBI single to push the lead to 4-2. The Golden Eagles secured the win with an insurance run in the sixth, as Troquille’s second hit of the night brought in Julia Glasgow, making the final score 5-2.
Madilyn Graham earned the win in relief for Southern Miss, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Alainah Felton took the loss for Alcorn, allowing two runs in four innings. Starter Kayla Giardina pitched 4.2 innings for the Golden Eagles, giving up two runs on five hits.
Johnson finished 3-for-3 with a run scored for Southern Miss. Alcorn’s offense was led by six players with at least one hit, including Bernard, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Alcorn State will open Southwestern Athletic Conference play Friday at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with a three-game series scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Follow the team on Twitter (@BravesSports), Instagram (@AlcornSports), and YouTube (Braves Sports Network) for updates.
