AUBURN, Ala. – No. 22 University of South Alabama softball plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go ahead of No. 4 Auburn, 4-2, but the Tigers stormed back with five unanswered runs to eliminate the Jaguars with a 7-4 victory in the final of the 2015 NCAA Auburn Regional on Sunday.

USA finishes the 2015 season 40-13, marking the program's fourth-straight 40-win season. South Alabama played in its fourth-consecutive NCAA Regional final on Sunday after claiming its third Sun Belt Conference Tournament title in four years a week ago.

Auburn (52-9) swept its regional this weekend, going 3-0 at Jane B. Moore Field to advance to the program's first-ever Super Regional. Auburn defeated South Alabama, 1-0, on Saturday to earn its spot in the final. USA dropped Tennessee Tech in the losers' bracket last night to claim a rematch versus the Tigers. The Jaguars would have had to defeat Auburn twice to advance to the Super Regional stage.

Jaguar sophomore center fielder Amanda Minahan supplied a one-out triple, her second of the weekend, and scored to cut Auburn's 2-0 lead in half on a fielder's choice off the bat of junior catcher Stephanie Pilkington in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Kristian Foster drew a walk to load the bases, and classmate Haleigh Lowe singled to left field to score Johnson, who followed Minahan's triple with a base hit, as USA leveled the score at two-all.

Junior third baseman Emily Messer singled to right field to plate Pilkington, as USA took a 3-2 lead, and sophomore designated player Chloe Rathburn put the Jaguars up two runs with a bases-loaded walk. Rathburn's RBI was her 53rd of the year, which surpassed former USA standout Brittany Fowler's previous single-season program record.

Auburn answered with four unearned runs in the top of the fifth and scratched another across an inning later to build a four-run lead. USA went down in order in the final two innings.

Jaguar freshman Kalen McGill (16-4) suffered the loss after giving up five runs (all unearned) on seven hits with a strikeout in 3 1/3 relief innings. Starter Devin Brown allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits and walked a career-high eight batters in 3 2/3 total innings pitched. The Jaguars committed a pair of errors on the day.

Rachael Walters was credited with the win for Auburn, improving to 18-3 after throwing 3 2/3 shutout relief innings with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. Starter Lexi Davis threw 3 1/3 frames, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits with two walks and a strikeout.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).