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MOBILE, Ala. ­— Ahead 6-2 with a spot in the Austin Super Regional seemingly wrapped up, Florida State’s Kelly Hensley hit a grand slam to send the 2013 Mobile Regional Championship into extra innings, and No. 15 University of South Alabama softball could not overcome Victoria East’s eighth-inning solo homer, as the Jaguars fell to the Seminoles, 7-6.
 
USA (48-9) defeated FSU, 3-0, a game before to force the elimination contest behind Farish Beard’s eight-strikeout performance, but the hosts spoiled a 6-1 lead in the championship, giving up six runs in the final two frames.
 
Thus concludes USA’s historic 2013 campaign, in which the club broke into top-25 ranking for the first time in its seven-year history and finished the season ranked 15^th in RPI, bolstered by several wins over the nation’s most prestigious and storied programs, including LSU, Florida State, Mississippi State and Louisiana at Lafayette.
 
This year’s team, fueled by a senior class including the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Brittany Fowler, Second-Team all-SBC selection Britany Campbell and Meghan Collins, owner of a number of all-time program records, recorded more wins than any Jaguar team in history.
 
The 2013 squad recorded program-bests this season in batting average (.306), slugging percentage (.492), runs scored (353), RBI (298), home runs (58), total bases (726), sacrifice flies (17), ERA (1.42), opposing batting average (.170), shutouts (24), fewest hits allowed (225), fewest runs allowed (90), fewest earned runs allowed (76), most strikeouts (384  and highest fielding percentage (.976).
 
USA claimed the SBC Tournament title and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Softball Championships for the second year in a row, becoming the youngest team since 1988 to host an NCAA Regional event.
 
The club also recorded a team GPA of 3.4.
 
Head coach Becky Clark extended her all-time record at USA to 231-148-1 this season. She now owns a career record of 387-181-2.
 
NCAA MOBILE REGIONAL GAME SIX - SOUTH ALABAMA 3, FLORIDA STATE 0
Home runs by SBC Freshman of the Year Haley Fagan and First-Team all-SBC At-Large selection Kaitlyn Griffith spurred the hosts to a 3-0 defeat of FSU in Sunday’s first game, which USA had to win, as the Seminoles were perfect through the double-elimination tournament to that point.
 
Beard struck out eight FSU batters on the night, extending her shutout streak to 33 1/3 innings, and retired the final seven in a row to secure USA’s place in the Mobile Regional Championship contest.
 
Fagan crushed a 1-2 pitch over center at Jaguar Field to give USA a 1-0 advantage in the top of the third, and Griffith sent a two-run blast to the same spot to extend the host lead to three runs.
 
FSU managed to place two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Beard struck East out swinging to shut the door on the Seminoles and keep USA’s hopes alive. She was clutch earlier in the contest as well, striking out two FSU batters facing two runners in scoring position and one out, which came when Fowler and USA catcher Alex Breeden combined for a putout at the plate.
 
Griffith finished the contest 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Fagan was 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. B. Campbell also added a hit, as the Jags led FSU in the category, 3-2.
 
Beard preserved her unbeaten streak this year, moving to 23-0. FSU’s Lacey Waldrop took the loss, falling to 24-9 on the year after giving up all three runs (earned).
 
NCAA MOBILE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - SOUTH ALABAMA 6, FLORIDA STATE 7 (8 INN.)
USA scored all six of its championship-game runs in the bottom of the second, combining for four hits and capitalizing on three FSU errors to go up 6-0. Back-to-back-singles by Julie Moss and Collins were followed by a Seminole throwing error that allowed Breeden to reach, loading the bags for B. Campbell.
 
Her single scored Moss before Blair Johnson reached on a fielding error that scored Stephanie Pilkington, pinch-running for Collins. Johnson and B. Campbell then rounded home on another fielding error that allowed Griffith first base, and Fagan’s single to right field allowed both Fowler and Griffith to score, totaling six USA runs.
 
Celeste Gomez’s double to left field scored Courtney Senas in the top of the fourth, as Florida State jumped onto the scoreboard with a single run.
 
Only three outs away from advancing to its first-ever NCAA Super Regional, South Alabama gave up its lead in the top of the seventh inning. Gomez reached on a fielder’s choice and was replace by pinch-runner Courtney Adams, who reached second on Bailey Schinella’s base-on-balls.
 
Alex Kossoff singled to third base, and a subsequent Jaguar fielding error allowed Adams to touch home, drawing the FSU deficit to four runs. Kaitlin Allen drew a full-count walk to load the bases, and that’s when Hensley delivered a four-run shot off the Jaguar scoreboard, forcing USA’s hand in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Breeden and B. Campbell hit back-to-back singles and were joined on the diamond by Johnson, who reached on FSU’s fourth error of the game, loading the bags for Fowler, but the senior couldn’t push her pop up out of the infield, leaving USA’s 11^th, 12^th and 13^th runners stranded and warranting an extra frame.
 
To leadoff the eighth inning, East homered to right center on a 1-0 count, and USA could no answer in their half of the inning. The FSU run total was the most the Jaguars had given up all season.
 
USA’s Hannah Campbell took the loss after giving up all seven runs (earned), falling to 22-9 on the year. FSU reliever Monica Perry took over after the starter, Waldrop, allowed six runs, five of them earned. Perry pitched 6 1/3 to move to 19-8. She struck out seven to only two walks.
 
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).