MOBILE, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama shutout Alabama A&M in two five-inning victories. USA took game one 17-0 and game two 11-0. With the wins, the Jags improve to 30-16, while AAMU falls to 11-29.
South Alabama will return to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend when it travels to Miami, Fla., to for a three-game series against Florida International. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday slated for 1 p.m. and will conclude with a single game on Sunday at Noon.
GAME ONE: South Alabama 17, Alabama A&M 0 (5 Innings)
In the opener, the Jags jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning. Junior Evelyne Pare drew a one-out walk to get things started. She was followed by first baseman Corey Race, who reached on a two-base error by the Bulldogs third baseman, scoring Pare for the first run of the inning. With two outs, second baseman Jenny Stevens then hit a two-run line-drive home run that cleared the leftfield wall.
The Jags blew the game open in the second, scoring nine runs on 10 hits. In the inning, South Alabama sent 15 batters to the plate, highlighted by shortstop Carolina Mendoza’s three-run blast to center, her third of the season. Two Jag hitters, catcher Kristen Hayes and third baseman Julie Morton, each recorded two hits in the inning.
South Alabama added five more runs in the third en route to the 17-0 victory.
Jag starting pitcher Amanda Leggett (5-3) recorded her second shutout of the season and her fifth complete game. The junior hurler used only 57 pitches in 5.0 innings of work to pick up the win, while Alabama A&M’s Krissy Miles (3-12) took the loss. USA had seven players record multiple hits in the win.
GAME TWO: South Alabama 11, Alabama A&M 0
The Jags again jumped out early and plated at least one run in every inning. Freshman outfielder Katie McGuire scored USA’s first run of the game when she came around to score on Stevens’ RBI double to leftfield. The one run was all Jag pitcher Beth Pilgrim would need, as she held the Bulldogs to just two hits. Pilgrim struck out seven, while not allowing any walks. The two-hitter was the freshman pitcher’s second in as many games.
South Alabama put the game out of reach with three runs in the second, two in the third and a five spot in the fourth to take the 11-0 victory.
In the fourth inning, Taylor Rich continued her hot hitting with a two-out bases-clearing double to left center to conclude the scoring for the Jags. The three-run hit was Rich’s third of the game and fifth of the day, giving the Jag third baseman and perfect five-for-five performance at the plate, including six RBIs on the afternoon.
Pilgrim (8-4) used just 53 pitches in 5.0 innings of work to pick up her ninth complete-game of the year and sixth shutout, while Deb Borcherding (6-13) took the loss for the Bulldogs.
