USA vs. SELU box score

HAMMOND, La. – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped a close 9-8 decision to Southeastern Louisiana Wednesday night at North Oak Park.

The Jaguars fall to 27-13 on the season while the Lady Lions improve to 10-29 overall.

South Alabama outhit Southeastern Louisiana 10-8, but three multi-run homers by SELU would be enough to lift the Lady Lions over the Jags.

“We gave up the three home runs and that was the difference maker,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “It just wasn’t our night. The kids played hard. It wasn’t a lack of effort. We had a chance at the end when we had some line drives that we hit on the nose, but we hit them right at people. We were still fighting to the end, trying to win a ball game. We just ran out of time. You’ve got to credit Southeastern Louisiana. They did a great job. They did what they needed to do to beat us. They stepped up and competed all seven innings, and they beat a good team tonight.”

SELU relief pitcher Vicki Honeycutt (4-3) picked up the win after tossing 3.2 innings and allowing a hit and an earned run. Jesse Browne got the start for the Lady Lions and threw 2.2 innings while giving up six hits and four runs. Kati Morse came in for Browne with two outs in the third inning allowing USA to get three hits and three runs.

USA’s third reliever, freshman Fairish Beard, took the loss dropping to 3-2 on the year after pitching two innings and giving up a pair of hits and three runs while striking out four. Senior Katy Neal got the start and also spent two innings in the circle. Neal Allowed five hits and five runs. Senior Lindsey Croft replaced Neal after the second Southeastern Louisiana home run in the bottom of the third and tossed one inning. Sophomore Hannah Campbell entered the game in the sixth and struck out all three batters she faced.

At the plate, junior Brittany Fowler went 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Senior Haley Hopkins recorded three hits in four at-bats with a run and three RBI. Senior Christin Crocker, junior Meghan Collins and freshmen Blair Johnson and Alyssa Linn added a hit apiece.

The Jaguars took the early lead scoring two runs off of three hits in the top of the first. After two quick outs, Fowler hit a single up the middle to start things off. Hopkins then put up her first triple of the year plating Fowler and putting USA on the board. Collins followed with single to right field bringing Hopkins home and giving South Alabama the 2-0 lead.

Crocker recorded her sixth home run of the season and extended the Jaguar lead to three runs when she led off the second inning with a solo shot over the center field wall.

The Lady Lions responded in the home half of the second using a walk and a base hit to put runners at first and second before Tori Sheppard hit a two-out homer to left tying the game 3-3.

South Alabama added one more in the third after back-to-back singles by Johnson and Fowler, a hit batter and a wild pitch pushed Johnson across home.

Southeastern Louisiana took its first lead of the contest when another home run by Meghan Gomez drove Megan McCollum home and put the Lady Lions on top 5-4. With Croft in to relive USA starting pitcher Neal, SELU’s Ariel Van Hook walked and Kelsey Nichols entered the game to run for her. Following Kayla Elswick’s sacrifice bunt and the second out of the inning, Lauren Coniglio singled up the middle scoring Nichols and giving SELU the two-run advantage.

USA took the lead back in the top of the fourth with three runs off of three hits giving the Jags the 7-6 edge.

Southeastern Louisiana’s third home run of the game came off the bat of substitute designated player Nichols and plated three runs giving the Lady Lions 9-7 lead after four innings.

After SELU’s third reliever, Honeycutt, hit Fowler with two outs in the top of the sixth, Hopkins hit a double to left center scoring Fowler for USA’s eighth run of the contest, but the Jags could not get out of the inning with the lead as Southeastern Louisiana recorded the third out.

Next, the Jags will square off with Sun Belt Conference foe North Texas in a weekend series on April 21-22 in Denton, Texas.

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).