USM’s Coach Poole Earns her 600th Career Win

HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball head coach Natalie Poole reached a milestone 600th career win Wednesday evening at the Southern Miss Softball Complex, as the Golden Eagles (3-7, 0-0 Sun Belt) edged Jackson State (7-2, 0-0 SWAC) in a 5-4 victory.

“Reaching 600 [wins] means so much,” Poole said. “It means I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to continue to coach this great sport. It means I have been blessed to work alongside some amazing coaches and student-athletes. It means perseverance, determination, drive, resiliency, and passion. I am so thankful to God and feel blessed.”

Poole reached the milestone win and her 47th win in her tenure at Southern Miss as the Golden Eagles powered ahead 5-0 through the first four innings and survived a late comeback by the Lady Tigers, who narrowed the lead to just one with four unanswered runs.

Southern Miss relied on a combined effort in the circle from freshman Kayla Giardinaand junior Natalie Herrington. Giardina sealed the victory against Jackson State, recording a career-high seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings in relief. The freshman right-hander surpassed her previous season-high of five strikeouts, which she set in the Golden Eagles’ home-opening win against Ole Miss.

Herrington, a Petal, Miss., native, earned her first career win in front of a home crowd of 561, allowing four hits and one earned run while recording a career-high four strikeouts.

Despite being outhit 9-3 by Jackson State, Southern Miss came through with clutch hits when it mattered most. Junior and former Co-Lin standout Madison Moakdelivered a three-RBI triple in the first inning, setting the tone early for the Golden Eagles’ victory.

Facing a full count with two outs in the opening frame, Moak drilled a ball down the right field line, scoring Ryanna Valdivia, Kayce Bennett and Maddie Weeks, who all reached base by drawing walks. 

Moak enjoyed a career day, following her first career hit with a single on a bunt and then stealing second in the bottom of the fourth to set up a run scored from a Jackson State error. Moak finished the day with two hits, one run and three RBI in three at-bats.

Freshman Carrie Green contributed the team’s other hit of the game, recording her first career triple in the second inning. She later came around to score on a sacrifice fly from leadoff hitter Hannah Christian, adding another key run for the Golden Eagles.

Green and Moak’s two triples marked the first time Southern Miss has hit two triples in a game since doing so last season on Feb. 24, 2024, against Belmont.

Meanwhile, in the circle, Herrington threw four shutout innings before Jackson State mounted a comeback, loading the bases with one out in the fifth. Giardina relieved Herrington, giving up a walk on loaded bases after a 16-pitch at-bat, but ended the frame with two strikeouts. 

Jorgina Gant and the Lady Tigers’ defense gave Jackson State a fighting chance after retiring the side in order for two straight innings. The Lady Tigers narrowed the lead to two with an RBI single and from a Southern Miss throwing error in the sixth, but Giardina tallied all three outs in the frame with three strikeouts, including two consecutive to retire the side.

The Lady Tigers again scored on another throwing error in the seventh, but Giardina ended her dominant performance with two more strikeouts to close the game.

Southern Miss now leads the all-time series against Jackson State 26-4 with a 16-2 record at home. The Golden Eagles have won 10 of the 11 last meetings between the teams.

Up Next

Southern Miss heads to the LSU Tiger Invitational in Baton Rouge, La., this weekend to take on Nicholls, Penn State and LSU, starting with a 1 p.m. contest Friday against the Colonels.