USA Completes Fourth-Straight Conference Series Sweep
MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball defeated UT Arlington, 7-3, on Sunday in game three to claim a fourth-straight Sun Belt Conference series sweep, improving its league winning streak to 12 games.
Kaleigh Todd tied her career high in hits to lead USA (24-11, 12-2 SBC) after going 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Devin Brown improved to 14-7 on the year after striking out 13 Maverick batters for a second time in the series, with no walks and three runs (all earned) allowed on seven hits.
Brown has now struck out 10 or more batters 14 times in 24 total appearances this year. Her total for the year now stands at 226, eight shy of tying Beth Pilgrim's record for the most in South Alabama single-season history.
Brown finished the weekend 2-0 with 26 strikeouts to a walk in 14 innings with four runs (three earned) allowed on 10 hits. Todd finished 6-for-11 with four runs scored and three RBI. Haleigh Lane went 4-for-8 in the series with three RBI and two runs scored, while Emily Messer scored four runs on three hits and walked three times over the weekend. Stephanie Pilkington drove in four total runs in the series.
South Alabama hosts Nicholls State this Wednesday, April 13, at 6 p.m. Links to live stats, video and ticket information can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
USA jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, Messer and Todd scoring. Messer drew a leadoff walk and stole second, followed by Todd, who singled and stole, with Messer coming around on an errant throw attempt to erase Todd on her steal attempt.
Amanda Minahan bunted Todd over to third, and Haleigh Lowe drew a walk to bring up Pilkington, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left center to score Todd and double USA's lead to 2-0.
The Jags scratched one across in the bottom of the fourth when Lane singled to score Tucker Caraway from second. Caraway pinch-ran for Pilkington, who led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on Kristian Foster's sacrifice bunt.
USA put the game out of reach with a four spot in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead, 7-0. Messer reached first on a Maverick fielding error, and then scored when Todd doubled down the left field line to give the hosts a 4-0 lead. Minahan followed with a base hit to left to put a pair in scoring position.
Lowe drew a walk to load the bags, and Pilkington drew a walk to send Todd across the plate for a 5-0 Jaguar lead. Foster drew another bases-loaded walk to make it 6-0, and Lane supplied a sacrifice fly to plate Minahan.
UTA (25-11, 4-8 SBC) put up three runs in the final two innings, beginning with a pair in the top of the sixth. Laura Curry got on with a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch before coming home on Britnea Barilli's double off the wall in right field. Mallory Foster then singled to score Barilli, which cut USA's lead to five runs.
The Mavericks scratched one more across in the top of the seventh to cut USA's lead to 7-3 when Sandra Mendoza doubled to left center to score Kayci Moore, who pinch ran for Rebecca Stokes after the latter singled with one away. Brown retired a pair in order to end the contest.
UTA starter Samantha Clakley suffered her second loss on the weekend, falling to 14-8 after allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and five walks. Reliever Taylor Simmonds walked the only batter she faced in a brief fifth-inning appearance.
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Coyne's Complete Game Shutout Lifts ULM over Troy
MONROE, La. – Junior Melanie Coyne’s complete-game shutout lifted the ULM softball team to a 2-0 victory over Troy Sunday afternoon inside ULM Softball Complex.
Coyne (14-15) was masterful and efficient, throwing 71 of 91 pitches for strikes. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed just two hits total while also striking out two in the complete-game effort. The shutout marked Coyne’s fourth of the season and ninth of her career.
“[Coyne] had a great mental approach the last couple of days,” said ULM pitching coach Keli Harrell. “She’s always been a leader and worked hard but today she really pitched like the leader that she is. She proved that if she can bring her best game, she puts her team into a position to win every single time. She attacked the zone and was really dialed in with her motion. When she’s that dialed in, she’s a really tough pitcher to face. We hope to see a lot more of this out of her.”
The Warhawks (20-23, 5-10 SBC) scratched the two lone runs in the fifth inning. Juniors Rochelle Roberts and Sidney Coy reached via bunt singles and Roberts went from first all the way to home on some heads-up baserunning. Roberts noticed the pitcher and catcher not paying attention and stole home for the game-winning run.
After Coy stole second later in the inning, freshman Sydney McKay plated Coy on a single up the middle for an insurance run.
Trojans (25-14, 6-6 SBC) center fielder Carli Kayler broke up Coyne’s no-no with one out in the sixth on a Texas leaguer that Roberts nearly caught. First baseman Meg Willis ripped a single down the left-field line in the seventh, becoming the only other batter to record a hit for Troy.
The Warhawks tagged Trojans ace Ashley Rainey (13-11) with the loss as she gave up the two aforementioned earned runs on six hits through 4.2 innings of work.
Roberts hit .700 (7-10) with a double and two walks complemented by a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases during the three-game series against the Trojans.
ULM has no midweek games this week and head to Texas next weekend for a three-game SBC series against UT Arlington.
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Second-Inning Outburst Leads to Sweep at Georgia State
ATLANTA – Shellie Landry posted a game-high three RBI on her 50th career home run and Alex Stewart and Victoria Brown combined for the pitching staff's 15th shutout as the No. 5-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team posted a 12-0 (5 inn.) win over Georgia State on Sunday at Bob Heck Field.
Landry's home run was the highlight of a six-run outburst for the Ragin' Cajuns (32-3, 13-1 Sun Belt) in the second inning that put the Panthers (19-22, 4-8 Sun Belt) away early.
The victory allowed the Ragin' Cajuns to complete the three-game Sun Belt Conference sweep of the Panthers and assure themselves of at least a one-game lead over South Alabama in the Sun Belt standings. Louisiana entered the day with the series victory in hand after a 4-1, 6-5 doubleheader sweep on Saturday.
No. 5 Louisiana returns to action next weekend (April 16-17) in a three-game non-conference series at No. 2 Florida in Gainesville, Fla. The Cajuns and Gators are scheduled for a 12 p.m. (CDT) doubleheader on Saturday (April 16) and 12 p.m. single game on Sunday (April 17).
The Ragin' Cajuns collected 10 hits in the contest led by two apiece from Haley Hayden (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Taylor Terrio (2-for-3, 1 RBI). Kelsey Vincent and Aleah Craighton hit solo home runs in addition to Landry's as Louisiana picked up its 22nd game (out of 35) with multiple home runs.
Stewart retired the Panthers in order twice and limited the hosts to two hits in her four innings of work as she improved to 17-1 overall and 8-0 in Sun Belt play.
It was a quick start in scoring for Louisiana as Vincent launched her home run with two outs in the first inning. Stewart contained the momentum by retiring the Panthers in order in the bottom half of the frame.
A sacrifice bunt by Kassidy Zeringue moved runners to second and third in the second inning and placed the wheels in motion for the six-run explosion that put GSU in an early hole.
Terrio shoved a grounder to second base and both runners (Kendall Smith and Kara Gremillion) scored after Mallory Koepke's throw to Ivie Drake at home plate sailed high, giving Louisiana a 3-0 edge.
After a single by Hayden, Landry drove a three-run home run down the right field line and Craighton added a two-out solo blast to stretch the lead to 7-0.
DJ Sanders, Gremillion and Terrio each posted RBI in a five-run fourth inning for the Cajuns that built the final margin. The Cajun sent 10 batters to the plate and took advantage of a combined five walks issued by GSU pitchers Amanda Chance and Chelsea Stanfield.
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Raley Strikes Out Career-High 14 as Softball Blanks App State for Series Sweep
STATESBORO, Ga. – Freshman pitcher Dixie Raley was lights out on the mound for Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon, striking out a career-high 14 batters while holding Appalachian State to just three hits in the Eagles' 3-0 win over the Mountaineers. The shutout victory gave GS the weekend sweep over App State.
Sunday's game was a Purple Game where GS invited fans to wear purple in an effort to raise awareness for those affected by Alzheimer's. The event was held in conjunction with the Statesboro chapter of the Walk to End Alzheimer's and the Alzheimer's Association and funds were raised to help in the battle against the disease.
For Georgia Southern (23-17, 9-3 SBC), six different Eagles registered a hit in the game led by junior Emily Snider's 2-for-3 performance that included two runs scored. Over the three-game series with App State (9-33, 2-13), Snider scored six runs, matching Taylor Rogers' scoring output.
In the bottom of the first inning, Snider registered the first hit of the game with a single up the middle and then stole second before advancing to third to set up an excellent scoring opportunity for freshman third baseman Hannah Farrell. Farrell took advantage and sent a rocket up the middle, scoring Snider to put the Eagles up 1-0.
After three and a half innings passed scoreless where the two pitchers combined for nine strikeouts – seven by Raley – and gave up just four hits and two walks, Morgan Robinson batted in both Rogers and Snider in the bottom of the fifth to put the Eagles up 3-0. The pair of runs batted in were the 42nd and 43rd of the season for the junior first baseman.
Raley (16-8) pitched a gem of a complete game, giving up just three hits and three walks while striking out her new career-best of 14 batters, besting her previous mark of 11 set against Coastal Carolina on Feb. 28. The freshman right-hander recorded the first six outs of the game for the Eagles via strikeout, and had at least two strikeouts in the first five innings. Annaleise Kennedy (2-11) started the game for App State but pitched just one full inning and then faced a pair of batters in the second before Vanessa Ciocatto came on to finish the game.
COACH SMITH SAYS
"Today was a very important win for us, especially as far as the conference standings go. It's always hard to earn the sweep over another team, but our players came out wanting to make another statement today. I was very pleased with how we performed today from start to finish. Our offense battled up and down the lineup, our pitching was solid all game long and our defense bounced back and played well. This was another team win and gives us good momentum moving forward. We have played tough competition all year and that has set us up for success. If we continue to play smart and keep it simple, we will continue to grow as a team."
UP NEXT
Georgia Southern will return to action on Wednesday, Apr. 13, continuing the Eagles' current seven-game homestand when Kennesaw State travels to Statesboro for a 5 p.m. single game.