HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss softball suffered a 2-1 loss to Georgia Southern on Saturday afternoon at the Southern Miss Softball Complex, setting up a decisive third game in the series.
The Golden Eagles, with a record of 28-17 overall and 9-5 in Sun Belt Conference play, fell behind early after Georgia Southern scored in the top of the first inning. Delanie Thame doubled deep to center field to drive in a run following a walk, giving the Eagles an early lead.
Georgia Southern extended its lead in the top of the second on a wild pitch. Southern Miss responded in the bottom of the third, when Hannah Christian singled and later scored on a line drive to right from Nealy McManus, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. Bailey Holland, the Eagles’ pitcher, kept the Golden Eagles in check, allowing just one run over her complete game effort.
Southern Miss threatened in the sixth inning with runners on second and first, but Holland retired the side to preserve the win. The Golden Eagles’ final opportunity came in the bottom of the seventh, but Holland closed the game with a strikeout and a groundout.
Hannah Christian led Southern Miss at the plate with two hits, including her 19th multi-hit game of the season. Madilyn Graham pitched seven innings, giving up five hits and two runs, but took the loss to fall to 10-5 this season.
The two teams will meet again Sunday at noon for the series finale, with Southern Miss aiming for its first victory over Georgia Southern this season. The game will be available via live stats and streaming.
