May 4, 2008

Box Score |Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Five Lady Eagle seniors played in their final game at the USM Softball Complex Sunday, ending the regular season with a 1-0 loss to UCF.

With the loss, Southern Miss falls to 25-29 and 9-15 in league play, while UCF improves to 43-18 and 16-7 and secures the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA Tournament.

Jennifer Fox and Allison Bullard had two of the three hits allowed by the Knights' ace, Allison Kime (28-10), who struck out nine batters.

Samantha Davis (15-11) took the loss, allowing just five hits.

"They've (seniors) been through a lot here at Southern and right now they're the heart and soul of the team," head coach Howard Dobson said. "They're a tough group to lose, some tough shoes to fill. I guess you don't fill those shoes really, you just get new ones, because those can't really be replaced."

Over a four-year career, Fox became the all-time leader in RBI (118) and moved into second in at-bats and hits. Bullard finished her career ranked in the top 15 in games played, games started, at-bats, runs scored, doubles, RBI, total bases and walks. Chaney, who joined the team following her career in women's basketball, played in 86 games, scored 31 runs, had five doubles, three triples and one home run. While playing shortstop, she committed only nine errors in 322 chances. Pigott played in 75 games, had 19 hits and scored 24 runs. She had three doubles, three triples and two home runs (both pinch hit homers).

"They've done a great job of buying into the system and doing what we asked of them, never questioning anything, just going for it."

UCF scored the only run of the game in the top of the first, when Tiffany Lane led off with a bunt single then advanced all the way to third on a single down the right field line by Breanne Javier. Lane then scored on a wild pitch.

From there, Davis settled in and retired 18 of the next 21 batter, giving up only three hits the rest of the way.

Southern Miss threatened in the bottom of the second when Fox singled through the right side for the Eagles' first hit. Karissa Jones came on to pinch run for Fox. Jones advanced to second on a pass ball then to third on a ground out by Pigott. Kime got Holly Milner swinging to end the inning.

The Lady Eagles then opened the third with a leadoff single by Bullard, followed a single by Megan Hill to short.

With runners at first and second with no outs, Chaney moved both runners up on a sacrifice bunt. Southern Miss was unable to push a run across the plate as Bullard was caught in a run down on a Pilgrim's fielder's choice. James then walked to load the bases, but Kime got Fox to ground out to second, ending the threat.

Kime allowed only one runner on base for the rest of the game, a walk in the fifth.

"We made good plays all day, it just came down to a couple of key plays," Dobson said. "They got that bunt single in the first, a ground ball gets through then we have a pitch get away from us and it turned out to be the difference in the ball game."

The Lady Eagles enters the C-USA Tournament seeded No. 7 and will face UCF in the opening round Thursday, May 8. The time is yet to be determined.