Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

USA 1, SIU-Edwardsville 2

USA 9, Tennessee State 1
 
Bulldog Kickoff Classic Information
 
STARKVILLE, Miss. – As the evening grew colder, the Jaguar bats heated up on Friday at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic, with the University of South Alabama softball team following a narrow 2-1 afternoon loss to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville with a 9-1 dismantling of Tennessee State, highlighted by a six-run seventh inning.
 
In the USA nightcap, senior shortstop Brittany Fowler got things started in the final frame with a crush over left center that also plated Blair Johnson, who doubled to left just before. Tennessee State brought on Olivia Gamache for starting pitcher Shea Morris, and the junior walked Kaitlyn Griffith, who advanced to third on a steal and passed ball.
 
Griffith was brought home when Jaguar right fielder Julie Moss reached on a fielding error by the Tigers’ shortstop, and Alex Breeden singled up the middle to send Moss across the dish. Freshman Stephanie Pilkington, who earlier made her USA debut in right against SIU-Edwardsville, recorded her second hit and RBI of the game to score Breeden after B. Campbell was walked.
 
B. Campbell tallied USA’s sixth run of the inning when Emily Messer put up a sacrifice fly to center after Morris was brought back on by the Tigers.
 
The blitz was preceded by three consecutive one-run innings the Jaguars used to bounce back after going down 1-0 to TSU in the second inning, thanks to a solo shot by Hawaiian freshman Jayna Hanawahine.
 
USA failed to execute a comeback versus SIU-Edwardsville a game before after going down in a similar fashion. Giving up two unearned runs in the second frame put the Jags behind early; however, several opportunities to seize points were presented to the Mobilians, as they finished the game with nine runners left on base.
 
Three of them were left unaided in the first inning, when Johnson and Fowler walked back-to-back, and Griffith singled to the left side. Two more were left on in the third and fifth innings, when Johnson again walked and so did Griffith. USA split the deficit in the fifth, when Meghan Collins drove in Fowler, who was hit by a pitch, but the Tigers shut down the USA momentum with Collins and Griffith touching bags.
 
“It’s early in the season, and you’ve got new people in the equation; everybody is trying to figure out what it looks like,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “We hit the ball well, but we hit it at people in the first game. We had a lot of free base runners, and we needed to do something with that. I thought coming back in the second game and busting it open, that helped our kids a lot, because they got to see what it looks like. It’s them driving the ball; it’s them finding the gaps; they can lock in to that. I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see if we can get that going again.” ­
 
A night after providing USA the winning margin over Mississippi State with her first collegiate home run, Johnson went 3-5 with two runs scored against TSU. Moss also scored twice against the Tigers, going 1-for-3 with a walk on the night. Fowler’s homer was the 18^th of her career, which ties her for third with Jenny Stevens in program history.
 
Sophomore Farish Beard replaced USA starter Jessica Dobson after 3 1/3 innings and struck out five of 10 batters faced, earning the eighth win of her career.
 
Hannah Campbell took the loss to SIU-Edwardsville after giving up two unearned runs. The Satsuma, Ala., native gave up three hits and struck eight Cougar batters.
 
USA will next face Georgia State on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. nightcap at MSU Softball Complex. The Panthers dropped a 5-3 decision to Troy Friday morning before overcoming a six-run deficit to defeat SIU-Edwardsville, 10-9, at noon.
 
GSU will face Mississippi State at 5:30 p.m. before taking on the Jaguars. The matchup will mark the first meeting between the future Sun Belt Conference opponents.
 
Further results from the Bulldog Kickoff Classic will be posted to the Jaguar athletics website immediately following each game. Live stats can be found via the link listed above.
 
NOTES:
·        USA is now 2-1 on the year
·        Hannah Campbell made her first start of the 2013 season against SIU-E
·        Stephanie Pilkington made her career debut at right field in the same game
·        Clara Bowen made her career debut for the Jaguars at catcher against TSU
·        The Jags have gone down first in each game and have scored a run in the fifth inning of each game this season. Only against SIU – Edwardsville did that run not put the Jags ahead
·        Jessica Dobson made her first start of the season in the circle against Tennessee State
·        Farish Beard made her first relief appearance of the season against the Tigers
·        USA is now 1-0 all-time versus SIU-Edwardsville and Tennessee State
 
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).