MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ? The University of South Alabama softball team split a doubleheader against Middle Tennessee on Saturday at Blue Raider Field in Murfreesboro, Tenn., winning the first game 1-0 before dropping the second game, 11-9 in a nine inning contest.  South Alabama stands at 18-11 overall and 3-2 in the Sun Belt Conference, while MT is now 16-17 overall and 5-3 in the conference.

GAME ONE:  South Alabama 1, Middle Tennessee 0

Senior Linden Jones opened the series pitching a no-hitter in a complete game shutout against Middle Tennessee.  She allowed only three Blue Raiders to reach base, marking the first no-hitter of the Jag softball program. 

After five scoreless innings in game one, junior leftfielder Ashley Elmore lreached on a Blue Raider error to lead off the top of the sixth.  She was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by first baseman Corey Race and later scored on a double from designated hitter Tara Donaldson for the only run of the game. 

Lindsey Vander Lugt (12-11) took the loss for MT, giving up one unearned run on six hits, walking one and striking out two.  With the no-hitter, Jones (12-6) picked up the win, shutting out the Blue Raiders, allowing just one walk, while striking out four.

GAME TWO:  Middle Tennessee 11, South Alabama 9 (Nine Innings)

The Jaguars jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning, scoring the first four in the lineup, but the Blue Raiders answered back with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. 

Jenny Stevens hit a two-run home run in the third to give the Jags a 6-4 lead, but Middle Tennessee again answered back with an inside-the-park home run by Whitney Darlington to score two runs in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at six.

With another two-run homer, this one by Martha Davis, MT took the lead for the first time in the game at 8-6.   The Jaguars cut the deficit to one in the fifth with an RBI single by Race, plating Donaldson

USA jumped back out in front in the sixth inning with third baseman Taylor Rich and Elmore reaching on base hits.  With Rich on second base, junior Evelyne Pare came in to pinch-run and later scored on a single by Race to centerfield, which also moved Elmore to second.  Elmore later scored on a single to leftfield by freshman Katie McGuire to give the Jags a 9-8 lead, but the Blue Raiders tied the game at nine runs apiece with their third home run of the game in the bottom of the inning this one coming from Davis, her second of the day. 

With neither team able to put up any runs in the seventh, the game was sent into extra innings.  MT’s Weiland then hit a walk-off two-run home run in the ninth to give the Blue Raiders an 11-9 victory.

Vander Lugt picked up the win, tossing 6.0 innings in relief.  She gave up just three runs on nine hits and struck out one batter.  Jones suffered the loss for the Jaguars, giving up three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two in 3.1 innings of work.

Race led the Jags, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, while Stevens went 3-for-5 with a single, a double and a home run.