TROY, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama softball team (26-26-1, 10-12 SBC) fell to Troy 5-2 in game one and 6-0 in game two Saturday afternoon at the Trojan Softball Complex.
In game one, Troy (38-17, 15-8 SBC) put up an early run in the bottom of the first after Kala Moore led off with a double to center. Moore would score unearned two batters later on a passed ball.
In the third, the Trojans extended their lead to 3-0 after Heidi Johnson hit a two-run homer over the left field fence to bring home Sarah Shields. Johnson would go 2-for-3 at the plate, with two RBI and two runs scored.
Ashley Adkins pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth when she came home unearned on a Jaguar error.
Beth Pilgrim (16-12) got two outs in the fifth before USA brought in Shannon Smith after Johnson scored unearned on a Jag error to push the Trojan lead to 5-0. Pilgrim took the loss after 4.2 innings of work and three strikeouts. Smith threw 1.1 innings and faced six batters in the appearance.
USA scored its only run of the game in the seventh when Kelsy Donaldson singled up the middle to bring home Kait Chernomaz. Chernomaz went 1-for-3 with one run scored.
In the second game of the evening the Trojans put three runs on the board in the third when Johnson homered to left center to plate Shields. In the next at-bat Tasha Elmore stretched the lead to 3-0 when she followed with a home run to left.
In the fourth Haley Hopkins came in to pitch for Katy Neal (10-6), who left the game after 3.0 innings in the circle.
Troy broke away in the fifth after Shields came home on an Elmore single up the middle. The Trojans locked the win at 6-0 after Moore stole home and Elmore scored on a Hayden Gann single to center field.
Smith came in to get the final out of the fifth as Hopkins left the game after 1.2 innings of work and two strikeouts. Smith faced four batters in 1.1 innings pitched.
Top hitter for the Jags was Kalin Lasseter who went 2-for-3 with one single and one double.
USA softball will travel to Denton, Texas Monday for its second appearance in program history at the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship. Opening games are scheduled to start Wednesday. Check back to the USA softball page at www.usajaguars.com for more information about seeding and game times.
