Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
North Carolina<BR>(NCAA Regionals)
Behind Southern, Softball Stays Alive in NCAA Regional
5/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 16, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - The latest episode of the Jamie Southern show aired Friday night at the 2003 NCAA Softball Regionals in Fresno, Calif., much to the dismay of North Carolina viewers.
Southern, who homered and threw a shutout in Fresno State's 3-0 win over Long Beach State on Thursday morning, did the same in a 2-0 victory over North Carolina on Friday night in an elimination game at Bulldog Diamond.
The Bulldogs (35-21) advance to face Georgia on Saturday at noon, while the Tar Heels (40-22-1) are eliminated from competition.
Southern, who appeared to get stronger as the game ventured into the later innings, tossed a three-hit shutout, fanning 10 hitters while walking just two. Her solo home run in the top of the seventh served as an insurance run for the Bulldogs.
North Carolina's Crystal Cox pitched well in the loss, allowing just four Bulldog hits in the complete game effort.
The first three innings were dominated by Southern and Cox, as both starters traded zeroes. Southern allowed just two hits through the first three, while Cox held the Bulldogs hitless through one turn in the lineup.
Fresno State manufactured a run in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Christina Clark (Santa Ana, Calif.) led off with a single to the third baseman and moved up to second after Angelina Diaz (Madera, Calif.) tallied an infield single.
Lori Hoffman (Benicia, Calif.) then laced a single to left, bringing home Clark for the first Fresno State run. North Carolina hurler Cox continued to work her way out of further damage by retiring Southern to end the frame.
North Carolina threatened to get back into it in the bottom of the fourth, but Southern escaped from a two-out jam with runners on first and second.
Southern's home run in the left field came in the top of the seventh- her eighth of the year -- and rounded out the scoring.
