DENTON, Texas. ? On the opening day of the Sun Belt Conference Championship, the sixth-seeded South Alabama softball team topped No. 3 seed Western Kentucky 6-1 Wednesday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium.

USA (27-26-1) broke open the game in the fourth, taking a 4-0 lead over the Lady Toppers (32-18). The Jags loaded the bases when Corey Race and Tara Donaldson ? who was the top Jag hitter, going 2-for-3 with one run scored ? reached on errors and Danielle Honore walked. Race came in for the first run of the game after Christin Crocker was hit by a pitch.

Two batters later Kalin Lasseter’s single to right field scored Donaldson, Honore and Crocker before she was caught out at second for the third out of the inning. All runs in the inning were unearned.

“I thought we came out with a lot of energy today,” said head coach Becky Clark. “The postseason is all about turning loose and playing hard. I thought our kids really showed up to play.”

Beth Pilgrim (17-12) held WKU hitless until the bottom of the fourth and finished the game with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work. Ryan Rogge (24-9) took the loss after seven innings of work and eight strikeouts.

“Beth did a great job on the mound and we got some big defensive plays behind her,” Clark said. “Our hitters were aggressive and came up with the big hit when we needed it. Overall I am happy for our kids and just hope we can keep it rolling.”

In the seventh, Kait Chernomaz stretched USA’s lead to 6-0 when she homered to left field to plate Kelsy Donaldson. The home run was Chernomaz’s sixth of the season and the first in program history in postseason play.

Lindsay Antone answered in the bottom of the seventh with a home run to left center to make the final score at 6-1. Antone finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate.

USA will play at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against seventh-seeded Florida Atlantic.

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).