HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss softball edged Georgia Southern 1-0 in the series opener Friday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. Kayla Giardina pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing five hits and no walks, to earn her 10th win of the season, according to school officials.
Giardina faced pressure early, stranding two runners in the first inning and a similar situation in the third. She also struck out a batter and caught a runner stealing third to prevent scoring. Her defense backed her up, including Kayce Bennett, who caught a runner stealing at home in the third inning.
The only run came in the bottom of the seventh. After Georgia Southern’s defense faltered, Kayce Bennett reached on an error. Jolie Hays and Paris Ferguson then singled, putting runners on first and third. Ferguson executed a sacrifice bunt, and pinch-runner Jayden Rausch advanced to third. Nealy McManus then hit a grounder to left field, driving in Rausch for the game-winning run.
Southern Miss improved to 28-16 overall and 9-4 in Sun Belt Conference play. The team is 7-4 in one-run games and 10-3 on Fridays this season, school officials said. The Golden Eagles also posted their seventh shutout of the year, their most since 2021.
Georgia Southern fell to 18-21 and 5-8 in conference play. Alana Barnard pitched for the Eagles, allowing one run in six innings. She was credited with the loss, while Giardina earned her fourth shutout of the year. The teams return to play Saturday at 3 p.m., with live stats and coverage available.
