Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Photo Gallery

MOBILE, Ala. – After WKU starter Emily Rousseau’s career day in the circle secured a 4-3 Lady ‘Topper defeat of No. 25 University of South Alabama softball in game one of a Friday doubleheader at Jaguar Field, the hosts responded with an 8-5 game-two win to keep their series-clinching hopes alive.
 
In her 18^th appearance this season, the right-handed Rousseau struck out 12 USA batters, tying a career-high, compared to one walk. Three of the four hits and all three runs she gave up to the Jaguars were limited to the fourth inning.
 
USA outhit the visitors, 9-4, in the second leg to take the affair 8-5, powered by Kaitlyn Griffith’s 3-for-4 performance and Farish Beard’s nine strikeouts.
 
Series-deciding game three is scheduled for noon on Saturday.  Live streaming will be available through the All-Access section found by visiting USAJaguars.com. Live stats for all South Alabama softball games are available through the multimedia section at USAJaguars.com.
 
Game One – USA 3, WKU 4
The Lady ‘Toppers struck first in game one when Amanda Thomas, the club’s home runs and RBIs leader, pounded a solo shot to left center in the top of the fourth inning, only USA starter Hannah Campbell’s fifth bomb given up this year, for a 1-0 visitor advantage after Rousseau retired nine of the first 11 Jag batters.
 
The hosts responded by taking a 3-1 lead in the bottom half, using three hits to score three runs beginning with Brittany Fowler’s single up the gut and followed by Haley Fagan’s double to left center that scored the former from second base after she’d been moved up on a Julie Moss sacrifice bunt.
 
Griffith then lifted her sixth homer of the year over the wall in left to pin two more to the tally.
 
WKU’s Ciara Garcia hit a infield single to lead things off for the Lady ‘Toppers a half-inning later, followed by a Dew hit by pitch and Preslie Cruce RBI double. Katrina Metoyer then supplied a game-winning, two-out single to score both Cruce and Dew.
 
H. Campbell fell to 13-6 after striking out three compared to two walks in game one, giving up eight hits and four runs, all earned, in her 14^th complete-game effort of the season. Rousseau moved to 9-4 on the year.
 
“I thought Rousseau did a great job on the mound tonight in game one,” said USA head coach Becky Clark. “She mixed it up, and she kept us off balance. You’ve got to give her credit; I think we’ve got a pretty good lineup. We’ve got to be ready to make adjustments if we see her tomorrow.”
 
Game Two – USA 8, WKU 5
The Jaguars jumped on WKU early in game two, leading by as much as three runs after as many innings, but the hosts found themselves within another nervy ending late in the contest, giving up a pair of runs in the top of the final frame that cut their advantage in half.
 
Faring better against WKU’s number two, Mallorie Sulaski, the Jaguars went up 5-2 in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-out, two-RBI Griffith double that scored Moss and Fowler, who both earlier reached on a single and fielder’s choice, respectively.
 
USA went up 3-0 in the bottom of the second when Griffith singled to score one, and freshman Clara Bowen, making her first start behind the plate in over a month, hit her first career double down the left field line to score two more.
 
Each club registered a single run in the fifth, WKU scoring on a USA throwing error and USA doing so via a Bowen sacrifice fly that scored Fagan from third.
 
USA freshman designated player Emily Messer led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple to right center, and Blair Johnson walked and reached second on a Fowler groundout, all before Moss delivered a two-RBI double to right center, making it 8-3 Jaguars.
 
For the fourth game in a row, USA gave up a multiple-run inning in the fifth frame or later. WKU cut its deficit in half with two runs in the top of the seventh, which began with Beard hitting Karavin Dew, walking Cruce and allowing a bunt single to Watkins.
 
Metoyer then reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Dew to cross the plate, and Cruce scored on a wild Beard pitch to make it 8-5. Thomas and Sulaski were both walked, loading the bases with two outs, before Clark decided to commission H. Campbell with closing duty. The junior southpaw struck out Jacqueline McGill swinging to end the contest, earning her fourth save of the season.

Beard earned the win, moving to 13-0 on the year, while Sulaski fell to an even 5-5. Beard struck out nine in the contest, but walked seven and gave up five runs, four earned.
 
“We’ve got to do a better job [tomorrow] than we did today,” Clark said. “I was real proud of the kids for bouncing back. [Mallorie] Sulaskie is a tough pitcher, too. She keeps the ball down and doesn’t give up a lot. I thought we had some really timely hitting in there. Some kids clutched up and really came through in some places.
 
“Day two is all about heart,” she concluded. “We needed that win. In every conference series, you have to scrap in game three. You’ve got to come in, play defense and hit, because pitchers aren’t as fresh.”
 
NOTES:
Griffith finished the day 4-for-7 (.571) with a home run, two runs scored and four RBIs…The sophomore second baseman slugged 1.143 on the day to lead USA at the plate…Fagan and Moss contributed two hits, while five others had at least one…the Jags batted .271 on the day to WKU’s .208…USA moved to 11-2 at home and 6-2 in SBC play…Fowler has now reached safely in 12 consecutive games…Bowen recorded a career-high three RBI in the night cap on Friday…Moss is now tied for the team lead in multiple-RBI games with seven total…Griffith and Moss are currently on six-game hitting streaks…Messer is now tied for the team lead in triple with Britany Campbell with three on the year…Moss extended her team and conference lead in sacrifice hits to nine total…Collins remains perfect in fielding on the year with 246 total putouts…The all-time series between USA and WKU moved to 10-10 on Friday.
 
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).