TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The University of South Alabama softball team was unable to climb back from a six-run deficit as the Jaguars (3-7) fell 6-1 to Florida State Wednesday night at JoAnne Graf Field.
Florida State (9-2) jumped out to an early lead putting up two runs in the first when Kaleigh Rafter’s sacrifice fly to left field brought in Carly Wynn. Ashley Stager scored on Mallory Borden’s single to right field for the Seminoles’ second run.
FSU extended its lead after Brittany Joseph scored the first of three unearned runs on a two-out USA error in its next at bat. Rafter reached on another error, which brought in Stager and Wynn to push the lead to 5-0.
With one out in the sixth, Amber Bryant scored the final Seminole run on Allison Collins’ sacrifice hit.
Carolina Mendoza ended FSU's shutout bid when she homered over the right-center field wall in the top of the sixth inning. It was Mendoza’s second home run of the season and her sixth of her career.
Mendoza finished 3-for-3 in the game, with Kelsey Volz accounting for the Jaguars' other two hits with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Tara Donaldson walked twice in her three plate appearances as well.
Wynn paced the FSU attack, going 3-for-4 while scoring two runs. Borden and Joseph also collected two hits apiece.
Terese Gober (6-1) picked up the win, throwing 3.0 shutout innings while scattering two hits and a walk around four strikeouts. Sarah Hamilton fanned seven of the 11 batters she faced in relief of Gober, allowing two hits and a free pass in 3.0 innings of work.
Beth Pilgrim went the distance for USA, with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings - three of the six runs she surrendered were unearned.
"We need to come out and play better early on against schools of this caliber, we can't afford to create such big deficits," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "Carolina and Kelsey swung the bat well today. We need the rest of the team to follow them in order to win our games this weekend."
South Alabama will go back on the road for the Southern Miss Mizuno Classic, starting Friday with a 2 p.m. matchup against Louisiana Tech.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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