Box Score

Becky Clark Postgame Interview

Hannah Campbell Postgame Interview

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TROY, Ala. ­— Hannah Campbell pitched a complete-game shutout, and Jaguars Brittany Fowler and Alex Breeden each delivered RBI on Saturday, as No. 18/19 University of South Alabama softball defeated Western Kentucky, 2-0, in the championship game to claim its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament title.
 
H. Campbell, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, struck out three to no walks in the finale, and second-seeded USA (45-7) scored a run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to take down the regular season victors to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
“Today was a complete team effort,” H. Campbell commented. “Our defense took care of it, and our hitters got in runs. I have to give [credit] to the team, because we all worked together to get this win. I just wanted to go out there and compete. I wanted to be aggressive, make my pitches and let the other team try to do what they can.”
 
The Jaguars will also advance to the regional stage of the NCAA Championships for the second straight season. With conference tournament wins over No. 21 Louisiana at Lafayette and Western Kentucky, ranked 20^th and 28^th, respectively, in the latest RPI poll, South Alabama further proved its worth in the realm of hosting a regional.
 
The NCAA softball selection show will air live on ESPNU at 9 p.m. CST on Sunday night. The USA softball team will host a viewing party at the Heroes off Old Shell Road in Mobile on Sunday from 8-10 p.m. Fans, friends and family are encouraged to attend.
 
In addition to H. Campbell earning the SBC Tournament’s top honor, Fowler, Britany Campbell and Kaitlyn Griffith were named to the All-Tournament Team on Saturday.
 
Fowler, voted SBC Player of the Year on Tuesday, reached in all four of her plate appearances on Saturday after going 1-for-9 to start the tournament. She was 2-for-2 with a single, a double and two walks. Five other Jags added a hit apiece, as USA and WKU tied with seven hits apiece.
 
WKU (41-16) used all the Emily Rousseau it had in Saturday morning’s play-in game, in which the Lady ‘Topper ace threw all 10 innings of a 7-4 victory over ULL, placing club in the SBC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2005.
 
Number-two Mallorie Sulaski was the last minute title-game choice for WKU, and the senior did well against USA for the first four frames, allowing only two hits and pitching her way out of three situations in which Jaguar runners reached scoring position, but Emily Messer’s fourth-inning leadoff single and Fowler’s RBI double to left field served as blows to which the Lady ‘Toppers could not reply.
 
Breeden delivered her first RBI in five games in the top of the fifth, at a time the Jags needed it most, on a single to left field that scored Stephanie Pilkington, pinch-running for Haley Fagan, who singled, from third to double the USA advantage to 2-0.
 
Moments before her hit, Breeden made solid contact on her first pitch from Sulaski, only to bring back the bat handle, as the barrel was completely severed and flew towards the mound.
 
H. Campbell retired the final four WKU batters to secure the win, USA’s 16^th in a row. She moved to 21-7 on the year, while Sulaski fell to 12-8, after giving up both runs (earned).
 
Said USA head coach Becky Clark on the victory: “First of all, congratulations to Western Kentucky. That’s a great team with a great coaching staff who have done a great job,
 
“I’m so proud of our student-athletes and the amazing job that they’ve done,” the seventh-year head coach added. “Hopefully, this is just the first step. We are a very focused, hard-working group, and, hopefully, we will do great things in the next couple weeks.
 
“This tournament was definitely a grind,” she concluded. “I didn’t think we were playing our best softball coming in, as the layover affected us a little bit, but I have to give credit to the kids. They stuck in there, figured it out and did enough to get us through. All the credit goes to them.”
 
2013 SBC Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Hannah Campbell, South Alabama, P

2013 SBC All-Tournament Team
Sarah Draheim, Louisiana-Lafayette, C
Jordan Wallace, Louisiana-Lafayette, P
Brooke Foster, North Texas, SS
Britany Campbell, South Alabama, CF
Brittany Fowler, South Alabama, SS
Kaitlyn Griffith, South Alabama, 2B
Emily Rousseau, WKU, P
Mallorie Sulaski, WKU, P/1B
Olivia Watkins, WKU, 2B
 
NOTES:
USA outscored its opponents, 13-1, in four tournament games, spanning 29 total innings…H. Campbell lowered her NCAA-leading ERA to 0.86…She has not allowed a run in the last 18.1 innings...USA moved to 12-8 all-time in the SBC Tournament and 8-0 as the two-seed…Combined with Farish Beard, who shut out North Texas on Friday, the Jaguar pitching staff has not allowed a run in the past 25.1 innings…USA batted .216 at the tournament and held opponents to a .135 clip…The Jags evened the all-time series with the Lady ‘Toppers, 11-11, on Saturday and moved to 3-1 versus WKU all-time in  SBC Tournament play.
 
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).