MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team will resume Sun Belt Conference action this weekend when it takes on Middle Tennessee in a three-game series at the Blue Raider Softball Complex.

The series opens Saturday afternoon with the first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m., and the series will conclude Sunday with a single-game at noon.

USA (25-6, 5-1) enters the contest after defeating Southern Miss Wednesday night 10-2 in five innings.  Christin Crocker led the Jags at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, scoring two, while driving in four. Katy Neal was also 1-for-2 at the plate, notching her fifth home run of the season.

Freshman pitcher Hannah Campbell (10-3) went the distance and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning.

South Alabama is 4-3 on the road this season, 12-1 when playing at a neutral site and 2-1 in SBC road games. The Jags are ranked second in the league in team-batting (.336), and team pitching (2.12) through 30 games this season.

Third baseman Meghan Collins continues to lead the Jags at the plate with a .413 batting average. She has also recorded 24 runs, 35 hits and 18 RBI. Against conference opponents she is batting .462 and has notched a .692 slugging percentage.

Crocker recorded her seventh home run of the season against Southern Miss. She is now tied with Jenny Stevens for the team-lead in the category. The Pelham, Ala., native has recorded 21 runs and 29 hits while driving in 28 RBI.

Steven’s who leads the league in stolen bases (22) is batting .316 in SBC play and has scored a team-leading 10 runs.

Right-hander Morgan Druhan (8-2) leads the Jaguar pitching staff with 102 strikeouts in 70 innings of work. Campbell has recorded 77 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched.

The Jags are tied 7-7 in the all-time series against the Blue Raiders. Last season, MTSU took 2 out of 3 games in the series against USA at Jaguar Field. Middle Tennessee knocked the Jags out of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament defeating them 1-6 at Jaguar Field. The Jaguars are 4-3 all-time when playing at the Blue Raider Softball Complex, and 3-4 when playing at Jaguar Field.

MTSU (10-21, 4-8 SBC) is 7-3 at home this season and 0-10 when playing on the road. The Blue Raiders enter the weekend after defeating Florida Atlantic 4-0 in game one, and falling 6-3, 3-0 in the final two games of the series.

Corrie Abel leads the Middle Tennessee offense with a .412 batting average. She has also recorded a team-leading 42 hits and a .647 slugging percentage.

MTSU’s Jordyn Fisherback (6-9) has recorded 64 strikeouts in 96 innings of work.
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).

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