HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss opened Sun Belt softball play with a 6-1 victory over Louisiana on Friday night at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
The Golden Eagles seized control early, scoring twice in the first inning. Abbi Troquille and Carrie Green opened with singles, and a fielding error allowed two runs to score, giving Southern Miss a 2-0 lead. The team added three more runs in the second, highlighted by Green’s triple that cleared the bases.
Green finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Hays contributed three RBIs as well. In the fourth inning, Hannah Christian scored on a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 6-0. Southern Miss pitcher Kayla Giardina went the distance, allowing one run on four hits with one strikeout and no walks in seven innings. She improved to 9-2 this season.
Louisiana threatened in the fourth and seventh innings but was unable to capitalize. The Ragin’ Cajuns left nine runners on base and managed only four hits in the game. Southern Miss’s defense was sharp, recording no errors and making several key plays to preserve the lead.
The Golden Eagles improved to 19-10 overall and 1-0 in the conference. The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon in Hattiesburg, according to Southern Miss athletics.
