South Alabama vs. Alabama box score

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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team fell to No. 3 Alabama 12-1 in five innings Saturday night on day three of the Mardi Gras Invitational held at Jaguar Field.

“Alabama is a really good team,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Alabama’s coaching staff, and for their team. They do a tremendous job, you saw that tonight. They’re one of the top teams in the nation for a reason.

“We made too many mistakes tonight. When you make too many mistakes against a team that’s that good, then it’s going to be a long night.”

Alabama remains undefeated on the season with their third win of the tournament while USA drops to 2-0 on the year.

The Tide’s Jackie Traina struck out eight in four innings to pick up the win, giving her a 2-0 record, while Jaguar sophomore Hannah Campbell (Satsuma, Ala.) was credited with her second loss of 2012.

“Against a team like that, you can’t make mistakes,” said Clark. “Hannah was making some pretty good pitches. They’ve just got great hitters. We weren’t throwing it down the middle of the plate, their kids just know how to hit. They did a good job of squaring up on her and driving the ball, and we tried to make adjustments as we went to slow them down a little bit.”

Campbell gave South Alabama a strong start, striking out UA’s first two batters in the top of the first, but a single by Cassie Reilly-Boccia followed by a home run to right-center by Amanda Locke sparked the Tide. UA scored three more runs in the first, with Jazlyn Lunceford driving in two more runs on a double down the left-field line.

After Jaguar freshman Blair Johnson (Kimberly, Ala.) singled in USA’s first at-bat of the night, Traina fanned the next three batters.

In the top of the third, Alabama’s Kaila Hunt – who was 2-for-3 on the night – drove the ball over the centerfield wall to spark a three-run inning by UA. An Alabama single in the fourth by Jackey Branham scored pinch runner Jadyn Spencer putting the Tide on top 9-0. Another three-run inning in the fifth pushed the UA lead to 12-0.

South Alabama ended the threat of a shutout when Johnson scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, as she reached second on a pair of errors before coming home on a Haley Richards single.

Lunceford finished 3-for-3 as the Tide collected 14 hits, while Branham, Jennifer Fenton and Locke finished with two hits apiece.
Meghan Collins collected two hits in as many at bats for the Jags, including her first double of the season in the bottom of the third inning.

Before taking on USA, Alabama topped Lipscomb 15-4.

Earlier in the day, Jacksonville State dropped two in a row – the first game of the day to Mississippi State, 8-1, and the second to Memphis, 10-5.

The Jags look to rebound Sunday with games against Lipscomb at 12:15 p.m. and Memphis at 4:15 p.m. at Jaguar Field.
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).