USA vs. WKU game 1 box score

USA vs. WKU game 2 box score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The University of South Alabama softball team Advanced to 5-0 in the Sun Belt Conference with two wins over Western Kentucky Saturday at the WKU Softball Complex. The Jaguars beat the Hilltoppers 5-1 in game one before edging WKU 2-1 in the second game of the afternoon.

“These wins are huge on the road,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “Western Kentucky is a very good team and we definitely had to work for every single thing we got today. Both of these wins were great team wins. We got contributions from everybody throughout the lineup and defensively. The great thing about this club is that they fight. It doesn’t matter if they’re down. They’re going to fight for the win, and they do it together. Today was the epitome of that.”

With the wins, the Jags advance to 17-7 overall and 5-0 in conference play while the Lady Toppers fall to 18-10 on the season and 3-2 in the SBC.

“Our pitchers did a great job,” Clark said. “Hannah (Campbell) did a great job in game one, and then Katy (Neal) came in and gave us a chance. Then Hannah came in and slammed the door in game two.”

Game 1 – USA 5, WKU 1

South Alabama lefty sophomore Hannah Campbell (9-5) went the distance in the circle allowing only four hits and one run while tossing eight strikeouts. The Hilltoppers’ Emily Rousseau also threw a complete game falling to 8-5 on the year.

Eight Jags notched hits in game one which was enough for USA to outhit WKU 9-4. Senior Haley Hopkins had two while senior Katy Neal, juniors Brittany Fowler, Britany Campbell and Meghan Collins, sophomore Haley Richards and freshmen Alyssa Linn and Blair Johnson recorded a hit apiece.

In the top of the second, Hopkins led off with a stand-up double to right center and then advanced to third off senior Christin Crocker’s sacrifice bunt. After two Jaguar outs, Richards hit a double to the same spot as Hopkins to put USA on the board first.

Hopkins extended the Jaguar lead to 2-0 with a lead-off solo shot to left field in the top of the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth the Hilltoppers pushed a run across on an infield single to the short stop from Mallorie Sulaski scoring Preslie Cruce. While trying to block the plate, Hopkins and Cruce collided injuring Hopkins and forcing her to leave the game. Hopkins was 2-for-2 with a double and a home run before the injury.

A H. Campbell strikeout ended the inning with South Alabama still leading 2-1.

USA tacked two more runs on after Neal, who replaced Hopkins in the lineup, hit a single to shallow center plating sophomore Julie Moss and Linn. The inning began with WKU pitcher Rousseau walking Moss. A sacrifice bunt from B. Campbell advanced Moss to second followed by a Linn single putting runners on the corners before Neal’s.

Another South Alabama solo home run in the top of the seventh by Fowler solidified the Jaguar win.

Game 2 – USA 2, WKU 1

Neal (5-2) got the start and the win after tossing six innings. H. Campbell picked up her first save of the year when she struck out Shawna Sadler with a runner on third to end the game in favor of South Alabama.

The Jaguars gave Western Kentucky’s Kim Wagner (9-3) her third loss of the season in game two of the series.

WKU took the early lead in game two after South Alabama pitcher Neal walked Karavin Dew who then stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Watkins. Dew scored when Sadler grounded out to Fowler at shot stop.

With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, WKU’s Wagner walked Moss plating the tying run in pinch runner freshman Kaitlyn Griffith.

South Alabama rallied in the top in the top of the seventh as freshman Alex Breeden scored on a Hilttopper error by Wagner.

Linn tallied two hits in the contest and Crocker, Fowler, Breeden and Johnson each recorded a hit on the game.

The Jags will wrap up the conference series Sunday at noon at the WKU Softball Complex.

“We’ve got to finish,” said Clark. “That’s something we’ll talk about. We did a really good job in that first series against Louisiana-Monroe of coming back on Sunday of driving the ball and putting some pressure on the offensively. That’s the same thing we’ve got to do tomorrow. When you get a team down, you can’t let them get back up. We’ve got to come out and go early, go often and keep our foot on the gas.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).