STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern softball team picked up its first conference series win responding with a 6-1 victory in game three after dropping game two in extra innings, 2-1, against Southern Miss on Saturday at Beautiful Eagle Field. 

The opening series win marks the first Sun Belt series win for Georgia Southern since the 2020 season where the Eagles took two from ULM in Statesboro. 

Game One (Georgia Southern 1, Southern Miss 2) 
Georgia Southern (16-12, 2-1 SBC) looked to strike first in the first three innings putting runners on but Southern Miss would get out of the jam in each inning. The Eagle offense finally struck first in the fourth on a Gracie Bellard sacrifice fly to bring in pinch runner Madison Humber to take a 1-0 lead. 

Southern Miss (13-15, 1-2 SBC) would respond in the top of the seventh by evening the score 1-1. The Golden Eagles worked the bases loaded on back-to-back base hits and a walk before a wild pitch brought in the game tying run. Georgia Southern would go down in order in the seventh to send the game into extras. 

The Golden Eagles took the lead for good in the top of the eleventh on an RBI double to make the final, 2-1. 

Georgia Southern left 11 runners on base in the contest and tallied just six hits. Emma Davis led the offense going 2-for-3 for her second multi-hit performance in as many games. Four different Eagles recorded the other four hits in the contest. 

Maddie Johnson (8-5) picked up the loss in the circle tossing a career high 11 innings allowing two runs on eight hits and picked up eight strikeouts. 

Game Two (Georgia Southern 6, Southern Miss 1) 
Southern Miss got out to a quick start in the opening frame scoring on an RBI double to take an early 1-0 lead. Georgia Southern would quickly respond in the bottom half of the frame with a trio of runs to take the lead. 

Kayla Christensen recorded a leadoff double before Davis tallied an infield single to put runners on the corners. A batter later, Valerie Combs singled to drive in Christensen before Davis scored on an errant throw. Delanie Thames extended the lead with her first RBI of the game on a double to right center and making it 3-1. 

Thames' hot bat continued in the third on her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to the left field bleachers to extend the lead out 5-1. 

Madi Gillespie recorded an RBI sac fly in the sixth for the Eagles final run of the contest to make the final 6-1. 

In her second start of the season, Alana Barnard picked up her second win tossing 5.2 innings allowing just one run on three hits and picked up a strikeout. Morgan Kendrick entered in relief, tossing the final 1.1 innings not allowing a run or hit. 

Thames led the offense going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, double, and home run. Combs and Christensen each tallied multi-hit performances going 2-for-3. Christensen extended her reached base streak to 15 games and Combs extended her hitting streak to six games. 

Next Up 
The Eagles return to action on Wednesday, March 19 for a doubleheader against Charleston Southern at Beautiful Eagle Field. First pitch of game one is set for 3 p.m. and the games are set to be broadcast on ESPN+.