MIAMI, Fla. ?Beth Pilgrim led the South Alabama softball team to its second win in extra innings this week, as the Jags edged past Florida International 4-3 in game one. Katy Neal recorded her first career shutout in game two’s 2-0 win.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the USA (24-21-1, 9-7 SBC) offense broke open in the fourth inning when Carolina Mendoza led off with a double to left field that was inches from clearing the outfield fence. Mendoza came home on a single to center by pinch hitter Corey Race. The Jags pushed their lead to 3-0 after Kelsy Donaldson hit a double to left that plated Danielle Honore and Kait Chernomaz.

FIU (24-26, 8-10 SBC) answered in the fifth when Katie Bell came home unearned when Jasmine Parra reached on a Jaguar error. The Golden Panthers closed the lead to 3-2 when Parra scored unearned on another USA error. Bell and Parra both went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored.

In the sixth, FIU tied the game at 3-3 when Desiree Fink came home unearned on a Jag error.

With neither team scoring in the seventh, it was USA that came out ahead in extra innings. In the eighth, Honore reached on a single through the left side and later moved to second on Kalin Lasseter’s sacrifice bunt. Honore scored unearned on a FIU error after a double by Marissa Boyd to put USA up 4-3.

“I am really proud of the kids, they fought hard in both games,” head coach Becky Clark said. “This is always a tough trip to make with the travel involved and playing a great team. The first game wasn’t pretty, but they hung in there until they could push through.”

Top hitters for USA were Honore, who went 1-for-3 with two runs scored, and Mendoza, who went 1-for-3 with one run scored.

FIU then made a pitching change, bringing in Jennifer Gniadek to get the final two outs of the inning. Kasey Barrett left the game after 7.1 innings in the circle and five strikeouts. Gniadek finished with one strikeout in 0.2 innings pitched.

The Jags were able to shut down FIU batters in the bottom of the eighth as Beth Pilgrim (14-10) notched the win after eight innings of work and seven strikeouts.

In game two, the Jags jumped to a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Katie McGuire hit a two-RBI single to left center that plated Donaldson and Chernomaz. Chernomaz went 1-for-3 with one run scored.

Katy Neal (10-5) went the distance, striking out three in her first career solo shutout performance. Gniadek (9-10) had eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched.

“Katy did a good job fighting through and giving us seven innings,” said Clark. “We got hits when we needed them and I thought they did a good job at the plate.”

USA will close out the three-game series against the Golden Panthers at 11 a.m. (CDT) Sunday.

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).