MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After battling blow-for-blow with Southern Miss, the Alabama State University softball team could not overcome three errors as they fell to the Golden Eagles 7-1 in non-conference action on a chilly Tuesday night at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.
 
Southern Miss (13-10) scored first Caitlyn Aldous reached on a one-out single to third, before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt for the second out. After back-to-back batters reached, either on a hit-by-pitch or a walk, Chase Nelson singled through the left side for the 1-0 lead.
 
The Golden Eagles added another run in the third when Tori Dew doubled down the right field line, before advancing to third on the first Alabama State error and later scored on a Heather Hill single to left for the 2-0 lead. On the same play, Therese Byrne threw out Aldous at the plate for the final out of the inning.
 
Alabama State (5-18) scored their only run of the game in the fifth inning when Alexia Boggess hit a ball into the 17 mile per hour wind gust, carrying the ball off the right centerfield wall to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Kaylee Davis, Boggess advanced to third and later scored when Laura Aguilar reached on a fielding error by Southern Miss first baseman Tori Dew.
 
Southern Miss would add three runs in the sixth, and another two in the seventh. The two runs in the sixth were courtesy of a pair of Alabama State throwing errors, while the two in the seventh came courtesy of a Jillian Johnson single up the middle.
 
Along with Boggess, three other players – Ragan Lacy, Davis and Aguilar – each picked up hits for the Lady Hornets, who were held to four hits by three different Southern Miss pitchers. Meanwhile, Vanessa Bradford (5-6) suffered the loss, giving up five runs (only one earned) in five innings of work; while Charlene Castro came in for the final two innings and allowed two runs off two hits.
 
Danielle Block (1-0) earned the win for Southern Miss, coming out of the bullpen to work 1.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run off of one hit. Johnson earned her second save of the year for Southern Miss, working 2.2 hitless innings for the Golden Eagles. Meanwhile, Dew and Johnson each picked up a pair of hits; while Aldous scored three times in the win for Southern Miss.
 
Alabama State opens conference play this weekend against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a single game on Friday at 5 pm, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 pm.
 
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