JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sunday afternoon featured the highest-scoring game of the weekend for the Presbyterian College softball team, although the end result was an 11-6 win for Southern Miss in day three of the Jacksonville Spring Break Challenge.

The Blue Hose countered an early 4-0 hole with six unanswered runs in the span of two innings, but USM closed the contest with a 7-0 sprint of their own to win a chaotic encounter.

The competition was fierce in the last three days for PC, playing five games against teams who all have a realistic vision to win the Sun Belt or ASUN regular season championships.

On Sunday, the Golden Eagles managed to spread out their seven straight runs over the course of four innings. They ended with 15 hits and needed 4.2 innings from their third pitcher in order to slow Presby down.

Head coach David Williams' group will stay on the road for two more in just 48 hours, turning around to play Western Carolina for a 2:00 twinbill.


 
FINAL SCORE: Southern Miss, 11 – Presbyterian, 6
RECORDS: Presbyterian (11-14) – Southern Miss (18-9)
LOCATION: Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex (Jacksonville)


 
HOW IT HAPPENED

 
- Starting bright and early in the neutral-site venue, Southern Miss snatched four early runs in the 1^st. That sequence ended with a two-run homer by Madison Johnson, the only longball of the day from either team.

- Presbyterian dealt an even bigger blow over the next two stanzas, however. After slicing the lead in half with an error and an RBI-groundout, freshman phenom Hali Duke laid down a two-run double to rapidly tie it up at four apiece.

- Gracie DeCuir and Cierra Grice (the bottom and top of PC's lineup, respectively) manufactured two more runs with base hits in the 3^rd, capping a 6-0 burst by the Scotsmen to take their first lead.

- USM pulled to within one courtesy of a bases-loaded walk in the 4^th, but Peyton Duncan (who threw 2.2 innings of relief) induced a fly ball to right which maintained the slim advantage.

- The Golden Eagles inflicted another stalemate with a sacrifice fly in the 5^th, retaking the lead in the next frame with a two-run double and an RBI-single.

- Carrie Green landed her fifth hit of the afternoon in the final inning to give her four total RBI, settling the final score at 11-6.

- Avery Robinson took the loss in the circle after three frames, seeing 15 batters. Duncan then pitched to the next 17.