Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game One Photo Gallery

Game Two Photo Gallery

MOBILE, Ala. – No. 12 University of South Alabama defeated Louisiana-Monroe, 2-0 and 7-1, on Saturday to clinch this weekend's Sun Belt Conference series against the Warhawks at Jaguar Field.
 
Sunday's finale is slated for a 1 p.m. start. Links to live stats and play-by-play audio can be found by visiting the softball schedule page.
 
With the wins, USA (28-3) improves its current win streak to 12 games, moving to 11-0 at home and 6-0 in the SBC, marking the program's best-ever start to league play. South Alabama recorded its 12^th shutout in game one and tallied its most hits (11) since Feb. 22 in game two.
 
USA batted .250 on the day with a .364 slugging percentage and .404 on-base percentage. The Jaguars also stole four bases on Saturday.
 
Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith led USA at the plate on Saturday, going 3-for 4 on the day with four RBI, a pair of runs scored and two stolen bases. Stephanie Pilkington also registered three hits with a pair of runs scored and a .714 on-base percentage.
 
Junior first baseman Amanda Herron hit her second home run of the year in game two. She also slugged .833, just less than Griffith's 1.250.
 
Hannah Campbell and Farish Beard each recorded wins on Saturday, the former striking out five to no walks in game one and allowing five hits in seven innings and the latter also striking out five to no walks in the second game, but allowing only three hits in six innings.
 
Freshman Holly McKinnon struck out one, while allowing two hits and one run (earned) in one inning of relief in game two.
 
Game One – USA 2, Louisiana-Monroe 0
 South Alabama picked up the series-opening win on Saturday despite being held hitless for the first time in 119 games, dating back to March 24, 2012, when Florida Atlantic no-hit the Jaguars, USA still picking up that win, 3-1.
 
Samantha Hamby recorded no strikeouts and walked five in the contest, giving up both runs (earned) in six innings pitched.
 
Chloe Rathburn's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning scored Griffith, who was hit by a pitch and then stole second and third to reach scoring position, to put USA ahead, 1-0. An inning later, Emily Messer drew a walk and then stole second to get in position to be brought home.
 
Pilkington's ground out allowed Messer to round third, and the sophomore baited a throw to third from ULM first baseman Molly Mackey, dashing home on the putout attempt to make it 2-0.
 
Campbell moved to 10-2 with the victory, her ERA shrinking to 0.65 with the shutout, her fourth of the season. Hamby fell to 9-6 with the loss.
 
Game Two – USA 7, Louisiana-Monroe 1
The Jaguars churned out 11 hits in game two – scoring in four of the six innings they batted in – beginning with one run in the bottom of the first. After Pilkington led off with a single to center field, she was brought around on the first of Griffith's two doubles for an early USA lead.
 
The hosts tacked on four runs in the bottom of the third frame. Blair Johnson and Amanda Minahan scored on Griffith's second double of the game to make it 3-0 Jags. Rathburn then reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Griffith home, and, after Taylor Rodgers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Rathburn walked across for a 5-0 USA advantage.
 
Griffith delivered an RBI single that scored Pilkington again in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-0 host lead.
 
Herron led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to center field that cut through a 20-mile-per-hour wind to go over, extending the Jaguar lead to seven unanswered runs.
 
The Warhawks scratched across a consolation run in the top of the seventh, after McKinnon entered in relief of Beard, who moved to 16-1 on the year with the win and lowered her ERA, which led the nation for the second week in a row this week, to 0.43.
 
After striking out the first batter she faced, McKinnon allowed back-to-back singles, the second allowing Faith Bohack around to cut USA's lead to 7-1. McKinnon forced a groundout and pop out to end the contest.
 
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).