HATTIESBURG, Miss. ? The University of South Alabama softball team (4-9-1) dropped a pair of close games Sunday on the final day of the Southern Miss Mizuno Classic, falling 2-1 to Nicholls and 5-3 to Alabama State.

In their first game against Nicholls (10-4), the Jags put the first run on the board in the third when Carolina Mendoza drove in Kelsy Donaldson on a hit up the middle.

Nicholls came back in the sixth to score two unearned runs. Lauren Martinez came in on Lyndsay Mesh’s sacrifice fly to the catcher. Danielle Clayton later stole home on the play to put the Colonels on top, 2-1.  

Beth Pilgrim threw a complete game in the opener, striking out seven Colonels along the way. USA finished with six hits in the game.

The Jags fell behind in the first inning against Alabama State (1-10) when Quaniesha Limbrick hit a grand slam over the left-center field wall to bring home Ariel Gainey, Ayesha Famble and Boshia Richardson.

Marissa Boyd helped USA get on the board when she drove in Kait Chernomaz on a hit through the middle for the first Jaguar run of the game. The Hornets struck again with two outs in the third when Limbrick hit her second home run of the game to stretch the lead to 5-1.

USA answered in the bottom half of the inning with Mendoza’s triple to left center that scored Christin Crocker. Chernomaz followed with a single up the middle to bring home Mendoza to close the gap at 5-3.

“Coming out of this weekend we need to regroup and compose ourselves,” said head coach Becky Clark. “We have things that we need to work on as a team going into Tuesday’s game against Jackson State and into next weekend’s tournament. It was a tough weekend, but we have to be able to move on and perform better down the road.”

Pilgrim came in during the fifth for Shannon Smith, who finished the game with five strikeouts and no walks in four innings of work. Pilgrim kept the Hornets from scoring any more runs, but USA was unable to overcome the early ASU lead.

Limbrick was the leading ASU hitter, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and 5 RBI.

Four Jags finished with two hits apiece - Katie McGuire, Mendoza, Chernomaz and Boyd - to pace the club, while Pilgrim had three strikeouts in three innings in the circle.

USA softball returns to Mobile, Ala., Tuesday for a 5 p.m. game against Jackson State.

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).