HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? In the opening game of the program’s history, the University of South Alabama softball team lost a hard fought battle 1-0 to Southern Miss Wednesday night at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.  USA begins the season 0-1, while Southern Miss improves to 2-4.

Both pitchers battled early with Southern Miss’s Shea Naramore (2-4) striking out five and only giving up four hits.  Jag senior Linden Jones (0-1) struck out 11 Lady Eagle batters, while allowing only two hits.  Jones struck out six before giving up the lone run of the game in the third inning.

“I think the key tonight was clutch hitting,” said USA head coach Becky Clark.  “We had runners in scoring position several times, but couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it.  We were one hit away from winning this ball game.  Linden pitched a great ball game for us tonight.”

USM’s Melissa Prouty was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning and stole second before Lady Eagle outfielder Allison Bullard walked.  After both runners were sacrificed around, Megan Hill laid down a squeeze bunt, scoring Prouty for the first and only run of the game.  Jones struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

South Alabama’s best scoring opportunity came in the second inning when the Jags loaded the bases with one out.  Sophomore Kristen Hayes led of the inning with a single up the middle.   Freshman Jenny Stevens then reached on an error by the second baseman and freshman Julie Morton was hit with a pitch to load the bases.  The Jags, however were unable to capitalize on the opportunity as Naramore was able to get USA to hit into consecutive ground outs to end the inning.

Evelyne Pare, Kait Chernomaz, Corey Race and Kristen Hayes each recorded a hit for the Jags on the night