JACKSONVILLE, Ala. ? After winning two games Saturday, the University of South Alabama softball team dropped two on Sunday, the first to Belmont (9-8) and the second to Jacksonville State (9-6)
GAME ONE: BELMONT 9, SOUTH ALABAMA 8
In the first game of the day, the Jaguars got on the board first, with junior Evelyne Pare hitting a single to left field and later stealing second. After two quick outs, Corey Race hit a single up the middle, scoring Pare for a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins struck back at the bottom of the inning with two hits and a sacrifice bunt, scoring the lead off batter Meghan Pipkin. With one out in the inning, Erin Mullen hit a shot to shallow right field, loading the bases. The Jags were able to force an out at home plate, before Jag pitcher Amanda Leggett walked in a run and hit a batter to plate another run. Leggett struck out Angie Hoeye for the final out of the inning, with Belmont leading 3-1.
With two outs and a runner on in the second inning, Belmont’s Sarah Vaughn hit a line-drive home run over the left field fence to extend its lead to 5-1.
The Jags battled back in the fourth inning, with the first four batters scoring before an out was recorded by the Bruins. Junior Taylor Rich reached on an error by Belmont and eventually scored on a base hit by junior Kait Chernomaz, to give the Jaguars a 6-5 lead.
Belmont did not give up, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, to take an 8-6 lead.
In the fifth inning, freshman Katie McGuire hit a two-run home run to tie the game, but the Bruins added one in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead, that they would not give up, handing USA its second loss of the season.
Leggett made her first appearance of the season, pitching four innings, with two strike outs and giving up eight runs on seven hits. Linden Jones (1-2) came in, in relief, and gave up one run to take the loss. Jones struck out four of the ten batters she faced, in two innings pitched.
Heather Grossnickle picked up the win for Belmont, pitching two innings, while giving up three runs on four hits. Sammi Parks received the save for the Bruins.
GAME TWO: JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, SOUTH ALABAMA 6
The Gamecocks led off the first inning, as the visiting team, with a one out triple by Nikki Prier, who scored on a double by Daniela Pappano. South Alabama answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Jenny Stevens reached on a fielder’s choice and was moved up on a base hit by Chernomaz. Both runners eventually scored giving the Jags a 2-1 lead.
Jacksonville State’s Jackie Jarman hit a solo home run over the left field fence to tie the game in the second inning. In the bottom of the third, Prier led off with another home run. With two outs, the Gamecocks added two unearned runs, giving them a 5-2 advantage.
Race led off the fifth inning with a home run to left field cutting the deficit to 5-4. With a runner on first, Carolina Mendoza hit a home run that was in and out of the glove of JSU’s center fielder. Unsure if the ball was caught, pinch runner Julie Morton paused on first base, while Mendoza, also pausing, passed her. Morton’s run was scored, but Mendoza was ruled out for passing the runner. With the run, the Jags tied the score at five a piece.
The Jags’ defense could not hold the JSU offense in the sixth inning. They allowed four more runs, including a three-run home run by Alana Hicks.
Race hit her second home run of the game in the bottom half of the sixth inning to bring the Jags one run closer, but it wasn’t enough for the win. The Gamecocks were able to hold the Jags for a 9-6 victory.
Melissa Dowling got the win for JSU, with Karla Pittman picking up the save. Jones (1-3) takes the loss, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out one in two innings pitched. South Alabama falls to 2-3, while Jacksonville State improves to 4-1
The Jags will travel to Hammond, La. for a doubleheader against Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday beginning at 3 p.m.
