STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Errors proved costly as the University of South Alabama softball team (19-19-1) fell 5-2 to Mississippi State (18-20) Wednesday afternoon at MSU Softball Field.

Carolina Mendoza started a two-out USA rally in the first with a single up the middle. Tara Donaldson followed by putting the Jags in an early 2-0 lead when she homered to right center to bring home Mendoza. Donaldson’s home run was her fourth of the season as she went 1-for-2 at the plate with two RBI.

The Bulldogs closed the gap to 2-1 the bottom of the inning when Chelsea Bramlett came home unearned on a Ka’ili Smith hit.

Smith went 2-for-3, with one RBI and one run scored.

Mississippi State tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of fourth when Smith came in on a Jaguar error in the outfield. Four batters later Courtney Nesbit put the Bulldogs up 4-2 on a single to left field that brought home Jessie Bailey and Brittany Bell.

Beth Pilgrim came in for Katy Neal (8-4) to get the final out of the fourth, as Neal left the game after 3.2 innings of work. Nesbit scored in the next at-bat on a Jag error to get the final run of the game as the Bulldogs outlasted USA.

Lindsey Dunlap (10-12) notched the win for the Bulldogs after seven innings in the circle with seven strikeouts.

Jaguar softball will return home to host No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette for a weekend conference series with a doubleheader Friday starting at 4 p.m.

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).