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University of Houston
xSouthern Miss
Cougars Squeak by Southern Miss, Fall to LSU
2/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 28, 2003
Baton Rouge, La. - Jamie Falco threw seven scoreless innings and the Cougars capitalized on a seven-inning miscue by Southern Miss, defeating the Golden Eagles, 1-0, on the first day of the Purple & Gold Challenge hosted here by LSU. The Cougars fell to the 8th-ranked Tigers, 4-0, in their second game.
Houston is now 7-9 on the year and will continue the tournament tomorrow with games versus Jackson State and LSU.
In the bottom of the seventh inning Houston's Michelle Keith singled to center field. Brooke Johnson reached on a fielder's choice after unsuccessfully trying to bunt Keith to second base. After Lindsay Durham struck out swinging, Jaci Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Kim Nesloney hit a 2-0 pitch into centerfield, but Southern Miss's Kim Bishop dropped the routine fly ball and allowed the winning run (Johnson) to score.
Falco was on the money all afternoon, scattering three hits while striking out three. The shutout was first posted by the Cougars this season and the third complete game of the year for Falco.
The only trouble Falco faced came in the second and fourth innings. In the second the Golden Eagles put runners on first and third with two outs. Falco promptly struck out Auriel Jenkins on three pitches to end the threat. Two innings later USM had a runner at third with one out after a double by Tammy Edwards, who advanced to third on a passed ball. Falco struck out Sarah Boyd and then forced Laura Smith to foul out to Kristen Glowacz.
Against LSU the Cougars found themselves down 2-0 two batters into the first inning. After leadoff batter LaDonia Hughes coaxed a walk off Crystal Briscoe (2-3), Sara Fitzgerald ripped Briscoe's first offering down the leftfield line for a two-run home run. In the next inning the Tigers struck for two more, as Alicia Owen led off the frame with a double to right center. After a strikeout and a sacrifice bunt moved Owen to third, Hughes singled to left center to plate Owen. Hughes then stole second and reached third on a wild pitch. Fitzgerald walked and then the Tigers executed the double steal to perfection, which allowed Hughes to score.
Jenny Johnson replaced Briscoe to start the third and shut down the nationally ranked Tigers the rest of the game, holding LSU hitless over four innings.
The only two hits for the Cougars came on a first-inning single by Glowacz and a seventh-inning double by Durham.
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