By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Tennessee Tech softball team had a chance late in its second game of the Black and Gold Invitational to earn its first win of the season against Southern Miss, but the homestanding Golden Eagles snuffed out Tech's rally with USM taking an 8-6 win on Saturday night.

Freshman Alexis Trimiar led Tech at the plate on Saturday in her first two career games, going 3-for-6 with four RBI.

Tech went 0-for-2 on its first day of the season, falling 4-1 earlier in the day to Central Arkansas.

Trailing 3-0 through three frames in the contest against the Golden Eagles, Tech put two runs on the board in the top of the fourth as Trimiar picked up her second and third RBI of the day with a two-run single to right field, sending pinch-runner Chandler Caldwell and Gabby LaSala home to score.

However, Southern Miss answered with four runs in the fourth, then another single run in the fifth to make it an 8-2 game.

Tech rallied in the sixth with two runs as Haeli Bryson picked up her first career RBI with a grounder to second, giving LaSala enough room to score. Trimiar followed that up with an RBI single to left center, driving in Kayla Hughes.

Then, in the top of the seventh, Tech added two more runs as Hughes drove in LaSala and Jessie Lowery on a double, before Southern Miss ended the visiting Golden Eagles' rally.

Callie Piper took the loss, allowing the first run on two hits as she walked one and struck out one among her seven batters faced. Bryson threw the final four frames, allowing seven runs on five hits, walking three and striking out two.

Madison Rayner led Southern Miss (3-0) with three RBI on a 2-for-4 night. Pitcher Abby Trahan improved to 2-0 as she went the distance in the circle, allowing six runs – two earned – on seven hits and one walk, while striking out six.

In the day's first game against Central Arkansas, Trimiar drove in Tech's lone run in the fourth inning, driving in Hughes on one of the Golden Eagles' three hits of the contest. Beth McCulley and Hughes had Tech's other two hits.

Alyssa Arden took the loss for Tech, allowing four runs on seven hits as she walked six and struck out four. Her counterpart, UCA's Kam Coleman, took the victory as she allowed one run on three hits, walking one and striking out three.

The Golden Eagles close out play in the Black and Gold Invitational on Sunday as they take on Jackson State at 10 a.m. and Houston Baptist at 12:30 p.m.