USA vs. ULL game 1 box score

USA vs. ULL game 2 box score


LAFAYETTE, La. – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped two close games to No. 8 Louisiana-Lafayette Friday at Lamson Park giving up their first Sun Belt Conference series of the season.

The Ragin’ Cajuns scored three runs on the day to get the 1-0 and 2-0 wins while holding the Jaguars scorless in the doubleheader.

“Overall, I can’t say enough about how hard our kids played,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “They stepped on the field to win. We’ve got to hit with them when we have opportunities. Today was just one of those days where you couldn’t get the big hits when you needed them, and we’ve been getting those lately. I give a lot of credit to their pitchers. They got the outs when they needed to get the outs. We were playing right there with them and we’ve got to come out tomorrow, go hard and try to take one of these games.”

With the wins, ULL advances to 32-1 on the year and 7-1 in the SBC. USA falls to 24-11 overall and 11-4 in conference play.

Game 1 – ULL 1, USA 0

Louisiana-Lafayette came away with the 1-0 win in game one after a ten-inning pitchers’ duel at Lamson Park in the series opener Saturday.

Ragin’ Cajun freshman right-handed pitcher Jordan Wallace (17-0) threw 16 strike outs to get her 17th win of the season while Jaguar sophomore lefty Hannah Campbell took the loss bringing her to 14-7 overall. H. Campbell struck out five batters in 9.1 innings of work.

“Our kids’ effort was definitely there,” said Clark. “They worked incredibly hard. In the first game, Hannah (Campbell) and Katy (Neal) did a great job. Hannah did a really good job of executing pitches and putting the ball where she wanted to put it. She kept them off balance.”

ULL outhit South Alabama 10-5 in the contest, but could not finish until the 10th inning when Brianna Cherry pushed Christy Orgeron across for the only run of the game.

USA senior Christin Crocker, juniors Brittany Fowler, Meghan Collins and Britany Campbell and freshman Blair Johnson recorded a hit apiece for the Jags.

H. Campbell walked Orgeron to lead-off the 10th before throwing a wild pitch which allowed Orgeron to make it to second. USA third baseman Crocker chose to throw out Matte Haack at first allowing Orgeron to get to third. Cherry then hit the Ball to Fowler who fielded it and threw home to senior Katy Neal, but was not in time as Orgeron was called safe ending the game.

USA remained hitless until the top of the fourth inning when Fowler and Collins put up a pair of base hits. The Jags recorded two more singles off the bats of Johnson and Crocker in the top of the ninth inning before B. Campbell beat out a bunt in the tenth.  

Game 2 – ULL 2, USA 0

The second game of the series was another defensive battle. After giving up two early, the Jags did not allow ULL to cross home the rest of the game, but the Ragin’ Cajuns were able to make the pair of runs stand up giving Louisiana-Lafayette its second shutout of the day.

In her second start of the year, freshman Farish Beard (2-1) tossed a complete game for South Alabama giving up only four hits and two runs. Ashley Brignac (12-1) went the distance in the circle for the Ragin’ Cajuns allowing three hits while striking out eight Jags.

“In game two, Farish (Beard) did a great job,” Clark said. “That’s asking a lot out of a freshman. That was a big start for her. We were not really trying to pitch to Orgeron. We got something a little too close and she did what great hitters do and she had the hit that was the difference in the game, but we’ll work on that.”

South Alabama was outhit 3-4 in game two with senior Haley Hopkins, Fowler and B. Campbell contributing offensively.

Louisiana-Lafayette came out swinging in game two scoring two in the bottom of the first off an Orgeron single to left center that plated Nerissa Myers and Katie Smith.

With two outs in the top of the second, Hopkins singled to right center giving the Jaguars their first base runner of the contest. The next inning, B. Campbell beat out a bunt to the third baseman, but was then caught stealing second for the second out of the third. Fowler tried to keep the momentum going hitting a single to left center before freshman Alyssa Linn hit a fly ball to left field to end the inning.

The Jags will finish the series with the Ragin’ Cajuns Sunday at noon at Lamson Park.

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).