USA-ULM Box
LAFAYETTE, La. – Behind junior outfielder Haley Hopkins four RBI performance, the third- seeded University of South Alabama softball team cruised to a 10-2 five-inning victory over sixth-seeded Louisiana-Monroe in the opening game of the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Championships held at Lamsom Park.
“This was a great start for our club today,” USA head coach Becky Clark said. “I thought that the team did a great job of adjusting after the first inning and that was the biggest key to the game. Hannah (Campbell) did a great job today of working through a tough strike zone. It’s always good to get some momentum going and get the first game behind you.”
With the win, USA improved to 36-15 overall and 15-10 in SBC action while, ULM fell to 27-27 on the year and 10-14 in league play.
The Jaguars were led offensively by Hopkins who also added two hits in her three plate appearances to go along with her four runs driven in a day after earning second-team all-conference honors. Junior catcher Katy Neal also plated three runs on a three-run home run.
Freshman Hannah Campbell (17-6) earned the win striking out five Warhawk batters, allowing only four hits in five innings of work.
Tiffany Mills (13-17) took the loss in 1.2 innings of work allowing seven runs ¬– all of which were earned.
Brianna Love, Miyuki Navarette, Roxane Cassel and Janel Salanoa all recorded one hit apiece for ULM. Cassel and Salanoa added one RBI each.
In the bottom of the second, the Jaguar bats exploded scoring seven runs on six hits. Christin Crocker started the rally when she reached on an infield single to the short stop. Carolina Mendoza then reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and second. The next batter, Neal, blasted a three-run homer over the right centerfield wall – her seventh of the season. Meghan Collins continued the rally when she drew a walk and then Britany Campbell advanced when she laid down a bunt single to the pitcher. Jenny Stevens then loaded the bases when she lined a single back up the middle. Second-team all-conference second baseman Haley Richards dropped a single to shallow centerfield just off the glove of ULM shortstop Navarette, scoring Collins and keeping the bases loaded. With two outs, Hopkins who led off the innings for the Jags’ lined a two-run single through the right side to plate B. Campbell and Stevens. After a Warhawk pitching change, USA drew back-to-back walks to score Richards.
After pitching two hitless innings, with two outs Love singled up the middle and Navarette then singled to shallow centerfield to put runners on first and second for the Warhawks. Cassel followed with a hard-hit single to right center to bring Love home and put ULM on the board. Salanoa then plated the second run of the third on an infield single that scored Navarette and cut the Jaguar lead to 7-2. That was all the scoring Louisiana-Monroe would get though as H. Campbell struck out Melissa Rivera to end the threat and close out the inning.
In the bottom of the third the Jags forced another Warhawk pitching change when B. Campbell and Stevens drew back-to-back walks. USA later extended its lead when Fowler dropped a single to shallow to centerfield to drive in B. Campbell and record her team-leading 50th RBI of the season. Hopkins then recorded her second two-run hit of the game when she doubled off the right centerfield wall to plate Stevens and Brittany Fowler, lengthening the USA lead to 10-2.
After walking Love to start the fifth, H. Campbell settled down and struck out Navarette allowing Neal, who leads the team in put outs, to throw out Love as she slid into second to give the Jags a double play. The final ULM batter flied out to centerfield to end the inning and give South Alabama 10-2 victory.
USA will return to action Thursday at 3 p.m. against game two winner 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).
NOTES: The Jags scored a program-high seven runs in a single inning in a conference tournament game … Katy Neal has now recorded a career-high seven home runs this season … Haley Hopkins scored four RBI - the most a Jaguar has ever recorded in a SBC tournament game … This is the Jags’ first five-inning run-rule victory in a conference tournament game…The 36 wins tie a program mark for most wins in a season…Earlier this season, USA took two of three from the Owls in Mobile, while earning the three-game sweep of the Lady Toppers at Jaguar Field.
—USA—
