BROWN PERFECT IN GAME THREE, JAGS SWEEP LOUISIANA-MONROE
MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball sophomore right-hander Devin Brown pitched her first career perfect game, and the Jaguars scored eight runs on nine hits on Sunday to take game three versus Louisiana-Monroe, 8-0, in five innings and sweep the Sun Belt Conference series.
Brown is the second pitcher in Jaguar history to throw a perfect game, joining former South Alabama standout and now assistant coach Hannah Campbell, who recorded the feat twice, last versus Nicholls State on March 12, 2014.
South Alabama (14-10, 3-2 SBC) swept Saturday's twin bill versus the Warhawks (14-14, 2-4 SBC), winning game one, 8-0, behind Brown's one-hitter in five innings and game two, 7-4, after scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead.
Haleigh Lowe tied her career high in hits and RBI on Sunday to lead USA at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Kristian Foster drove in a career-high three runs on two hits. Stephanie Pilkington went 1-for-2 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored.
Emily Messer went 1-for-3 with a run, and Kaleigh Todd was 1-for-2 with two runs, as each reached safely for the 11th game in a row.
For the sixth game in a row, USA took a lead in the first inning, with Foster doing the initial damage on a two-out, two-run double to left center that scored Lowe and Pilkington, giving USA a 2-0 lead.
The Jags scored three runs apiece in the third and fourth frames. In the former, Lowe doubled to left center to score Todd, and Foster plated Pilkington with a base hit to left in the next at-bat to put the hosts up, 4-0. Lane then supplied a hard-hit, two-out double off the glove of ULM right fielder Sydney McKay to plate Lowe for a 5-0 Jaguar lead.
South Alabama took a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Pilkington grounded out to allow Savanna Mayo, who reached on a ULM error to lead off, to score. Lowe's two-RBI base hit to right scored Todd and Messer for the final eight-run margin.
Brown improved her record to 8-6 with the win. The double-digit strikeout performance was her ninth this year in 17 appearances.
ULM starter Melanie Coyne took the loss, falling to 9-10, after allowing five runs (all earned) on seven hits with a strikeout and a walk in three innings. Reliever Paige Porter gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits with a walk and strikeout in one inning.
USA travels to Birmingham this Tuesday to take on Conference USA foe UAB at 4 p.m.
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Texas State Softball Returns Home With 4-1 Victory Over Georgia State
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Texas State softball team returns to San Marcos high note after taking a 4-1 victory over Georgia State Sunday afternoon. The Bobcats tallied nine hits and scored three runs in the top of the first inning to secure the Bobcat’s 21st victory of the season. Overall, the Bobcats are 21-9 and 2-4 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Kelli Baker and Ariel Ortiz led the ‘Cats with two hits apiece and five additional Bobcats registered a hit in the victory. Randi Rupp earned her 15th victory Sunday afternoon. Her outing featured eight strikeouts to just two walks and one hit allowed. She put in five innings of work for the Bobcats as she improves to 15-5 overall.
Texas State quickly got the bats rolling in the top of the first inning. Just like she did yesterday afternoon, Baker led the game off with a double to left center. Two batters later, Baker scored the first Texas State run on a Corrina Liscano single to centerfield. With two outs and runners on second and third due in part to Taylor Webb’s double to right, Ortiz singled to right field to give Texas State a 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats added one more run in the top of the third after a lead-off home run by Kendall Wiley. It was Wiley’s fourth home run of the year.
Georgia State earned its first hit of the game in the bottom of the third inning.
The Panthers held the ‘Cats scoreless for the rest of the game and even got one run back in the bottom of the sixth. After back-to-back singles to lead-off the inning for the Panthers and a wild pitch to move the runners to second and third, a ground ball to second scored the one run of the game.
Texas State finished with nine hits including two doubles and a home run. Bobcat hitters drew three walks while striking out just two times.
The Bobcats return home for four straight, beginning with a single game against Incarnate Word on Wednesday, March 23. First pitch against the Cardinals is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Bobcat Softball Stadium. Live stats, live audio, and live video will be available at www.txstatebobcats.com.
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UTA knocks off No. 5 Louisiana to close series
ARLINGTON, Texas - A two-run blast from Kacey Everett in the third inning lifted UT Arlington to a 3-1 victory over No. 5 Louisiana on Sunday. The win was the Mavericks' first over a ranked opponent since 2003.
UTA (22-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) tallied six hits after recording just two on Saturday to complete its first-ever win against Louisiana (22-2, 4-1) in conference play and avoid the series sweep. The win ended a 13-game streak for UL over UTA. The Mavs improved to 14-4 at Allan Saxe Field.
"For them to have a day like yesterday and put that behind them and come out here today and compete, I'm very proud of them and it speaks so much to where this program is going," UT Arlington coach Kristie Fox said. "Having good pitching, taking care of the ball and having the clutch hit, that's how you have to win ballgames against good teams."
The Ragin' Cajuns received their second loss of the year, the first coming from then No. 5 Oregon, that wiped their 16-game win streak. Their one run tied the lowest in a game this season.
With the game tied at 1-1, Everett's second home run of the season was smashed over the left-center field fence to score Laura Curry.
The catcher was 2-for-3 on the day with a run and two RBI. Sandra Mendoza went 3-for-3 with one run.
"I was just so excited because I knew she was going to throw me a rise ball inside," Everett said. "I didn't want to go up there guessing and normally I'm not the first right-handed batter. Today, Sandra really gave me a pep talk and told me to do my thing and be aggressive. It just gave me a lot more confidence going up there."
Louisiana threatened to override UTA's victory in a seventh inning that had every fan out of their seat. A hit-by-pitch opened the bottom half for the Ragin' Cajuns and with two outs and two runners in scoring position, Samatha Clakley pitched into a groundout that finished the job.
Clakley (12-2) was a force on the mound for the Mavericks in the series finale as she allowed one run on six hits and a walk in all seven innings. Her seven strikeouts tied her career-high.
"Personally, I knew the whole time we were capable of beating them," Clakley said. "There's situations we didn't handle properly yesterday. Today we all handled situations the way they should have been.
"Everyone was more on their game. Yesterday we struggled and we were all more pumped today. We just came out ready to play today."
Mendoza ran out a single to shortstop to lead off the bottom of the first. A sac bunt and pass ball scooted her over to third and a sac fly to left field by Britnea Barilli gave the Mavericks their first run of the series.
Louisiana tied the ballgame at one in the third as a leadoff walk came home on a groundout up the middle on a diving stop at shortstop by Curry.
The Ragin' Cajuns attempted to storm back in the top of the fourth as a double to the right field corner sent a pair of runners home, but a throw to the plate was the first movement in a pickle situation that ended in a tag out.
Back-to-back looking strikeouts for Clakley ended the inning and kept the momentum moving for UTA.
The Mavericks continue Sun Belt play at Georgia Southern with the three-game series opening at 4 p.m. CT on Friday.