Texas State softball (28-12, 11-4, Sun Belt) completed a 3-0 sweep of Southern Miss (20-22, 7-7 Sun Belt) last weekend in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Here are recaps for all three games:
Game 1
Keely Williams and Aiyana Coleman drove in seven runs, seven of Texas State’s starting nine picked up a hit and four finished the day with multiple. Maddy Azua picked up her 16th win of the season all en route to a 12-1 run-rule victory over Southern Miss. Friday night in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Texas State improves to 26-12 on the season while the Golden Eagles fall to a 20-20 overall record.
Texas State wasted zero time getting things started on Friday night. Three batters into the game Williams singled, bringing Erin Peterson around to score, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead before anyone had time to blink. Coleman stepped up to the plate after Williams and delivered a two RBI single into right field to increase the Bobcats lead to 3-0, still with no outs in the inning.
The long first inning continued for the Bobcats with two singles up the middle courtesy of Karmyn Bass and Sydney Harvey, running the score to 7-0. With the lineup turned over, Williams found herself back at the plate for the second time in the first and came through again with a two RBI single, capping off the Bobcats monster first inning at 9-0.
Texas State’s bats went quiet for a few innings after the nine run outburst in the first, but the Bobcats continued to add on in the fifth. Williams tripled, driving in her third and fourth runs of the day to run the score to 11-1. One batter later, Coleman singled, scoring Williams and putting the final touch on the Bobcats run scoring, giving Texas State the 12-1 lead.
Southern Miss managed a run in the second on a solo home run off the bat of third baseman Mikaila Fox, but that is all they would manage against Azua on the night.
Azua worked five strong innings, surrendering just one run on five hits and punching out six. With the win, Azua improves to 16-5 on the year.
Game 2
The Texas State Bobcats shutout the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 5-0 after Aiyana Coleman hit a home run in the top of the seventh Saturday afternoon in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Coleman is up to her 13th home run of the season.
Analisa Soliz (2-0) started on the mound for the Bobcats, pitching 4 ⅔ innings before Madison Azua stepped onto the mound to pitch the final 2 ⅓ innings. Soliz and Azua each struck out four batters.
Natalie Herrington (5-6) took the loss for the Golden Eagles after two innings pitched and striking out one batter. Kayla Giadina pitched the final five innings for the Golden Eagles and was able to strike out one.
The Bobcats took an early lead in the top of the first with Erin Peterson scoring on a single from Coleman. The Golden Eagles attempted to answer this in the bottom of the first but left two batters on base to close out the inning.
In the top of the second the Bobcats stretched their lead after Mayson Garrett scored from a ground out by Kate Bubela. The Golden Eagles were unable to put a run on the board after Ryanna Valdivia and Claire Ginder flied out to right field and Shelby Allen struck out.
Bubela started off the top of the seventh by scoring on a single from Bailee Slack. To close out the inning Slack scored on a home run from Coleman.
The Golden Eagles were unable to come back in the bottom of the seventh with no batters on base.
Game 3
In only 80 pitches, Maddy Azua threw a complete game shutout and tallied seven strikeouts as Texas State beat Southern Miss 2-0 to secure the sweep at Southern Miss Softball Complex on Sunday.
The Bobcats have now swept two straight conference opponents.
A quiet offensive game did just enough behind the performance of Azua. She collected her second win this weekend and allowed only four hits in her complete shutout of the Golden Eagles.
Ciara Trahan drove in Bailee Slack on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Erin Peterson’s RBI single in the seventh scored Karmyn Bass.
Part of the reason the offense was quiet for Texas State is because the Golden Eagles gave Aiyana Coleman the Barry Bonds treatment, intentionally walking her in three of her four plate appearances.
Southern Miss’ starting pitcher, Kayla Giardina, threw 6 1/3 innings where she allowed two runs on six hits and gave up three walks.
Despite Giardina’s solid outing, the Golden Eagles four hits and seven strikeouts wouldn’t do the trick.
Next for Texas State is a trip down I-35 to complete a halted game against UTSA (16-25, 3-15 American Athletic Conference) before their regularly scheduled matchup that will start at 4 p.m. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
