Wren & Matthews Continue Quality Pitching Efforts In Two Close Defeats

Box Score (Houston Baptist) | Box Score (Southern Miss)

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State University softball program only gave up four earned runs in two games and outhit USM 8-3, but three unearned runs and three scores by the offense spoiled some excellent pitching from A’tajua Wren and Ashlyn Matthews.

 
The Basics

• Final Score (Houston Baptist): Houston Baptist 2 | Mississippi Valley State 0

• Final Score (Southern Miss): Southern Miss 5 | Mississippi Valley State 3

• Records: Mississippi Valley State (0-8, 0-0 SWAC) | Houston Baptist (3-4, 0-0 Southland) | Southern Miss (7-4, 0-0 C-USA)

• Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Southern Miss Softball Complex

• Series History: N/A

• Winning Streak: N/A

Mississippi Valley State Top Performers

• In the morning tilt with Houston Baptist, Wren gave up two runs in the top of the first before settling in and shutting out the Huskies the rest of the way for a complete game (7.0 innings) six-hitter with a walk and two strikeouts over 87 pitches.

• Ashlyn Matthews was equally impressive in her six-inning complete game, surrendering just two earned runs and three hits despite not recording a strikeout against Southern Miss.

• Jade Smith had her first collegiate hit in game one during a pinch-hit effort then followed it up with a triple in the second, scoring soon thereafter.

• Keisha White had a solid day, going 2-for-6 with an RBI double plus a stolen base.

• Naomi Drake reached base three times in five plate appearances, grabbing two hits, a free pass, and a steal.

• Jaylon Davis was a menace for Coach Buckner’s ladies on the basepaths, wheeling her way to three stolen bases including two versus HBU on top of a hit and a run apiece.

• Sydney Wesley put the Green and White ahead in the top of the first of game two with a single to the pitcher, which brought home Jade Smith after her three-bagger.

• Other Devilettes who collected hits were Brianna Alston, MyKaila Fleming, and Aleyah Munford while Aulora Edwards walked after pinch hitting for Fleming in the opener.

Notes

• The Devilettes hammered out its most hits in a game so far in 2022 versus the Lady Eagles, registering eight base knocks by eight different players, while stealing three bases.

MVSU will end the Golden Eagle Invitational Sunday morning at 10 a.m. versus Louisiana-Monroe in a rematch of last week’s matchup in Monroe.

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