Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. – No. 12 University of South Alabama softball completed its second Sun Belt Conference series sweep on Sunday, taking the finale with Louisiana-Monroe, 7-0, thanks to 11 hits and seven combined shutout innings from a trio of Jaguar pitchers.
 
USA (29-3) extends its current win streak to 13 games and moves to 7-0 in SBC play, the program's best-ever conference start.
 
South Alabama next travels to No. 5/7 Alabama for a midweek clash in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday. First pitch of that game is set for 6 p.m.
 
The Jaguars scored seven runs off 11 hits on Sunday, opening the bottom half of the first frame with a three-spot, scratching one across in the third and tacking on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Blair Johnson, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in, delivered an RBI single through the right side that plated Stephanie Pilkington (leadoff walk) to get things started. Chloe Rathburn then supplied a one-out, two-run single that scored Amanda Minahan (E5) and Johnson for a quick 3-0 host advantage.
 
Back-to-back singles from Pilkington and Alyssa Linn in the bottom of the second inning prompted a pitching change for the Warhawks, starter Samantha Hamby, who no-hit USA on Saturday, being exchanged for Jessica Colliver.
 
Colliver retired the first three USA batters she faced, but issued a one-out walk to Rathburn in the bottom of the third that led to USA's fourth run. Gwen Jones, pinch-running for Rathburn, stole second and then scored on Alex Breeden's hard-hit RBI single to right center, pushing USA's lead to 4-0 after three.
 
Jaguar starter Hannah Campbell, who finished the day with six strikeouts and five hits allowed, retired the visiting side in the top of the fourth before USA used four hits to tally three more runs in the bottom half.
 
Pilkington led off with a single, Minahan followed with a double and Johnson scored the former with a second RBI single to push USA's lead to five unanswered. After Haylie Wilson came on in relief of Colliver, Rathburn lifted a sacrifice to right field, allowing Minahan to score for a 6-0 lead.
 
Johnson was subsequently brought home on Amanda Herron's RBI single up the middle.
 
ULM placed runners on second and third in the top of the sixth when Miyuki Navarrete led off with a single, and Alexis Cacioppo drew a walk, the first Campbell had issued in 41 2/3 innings. The senior from Satsuma, Ala., struck out her sixth batter and forced a groundout, however, to keep the visitors from making a profit.
 
Kaleigh Floore made her second appearance of the season in relief of Campbell to start the seventh inning. Floore issued three walks to load the bases and was exchanged for Farish Beard with one out remaining in the contest. Beard blew past Courtney Dutreix to secure the Jaguar victory.
 
Campbell moved to 11-2 on the year with the victory, her ERA shrinking to 0.61 with the combined shutout. Hamby took the loss for ULM, falling to 9-7 on the year after giving up four hits, three runs (two earned) and striking out none to a single walk.
 
Colliver gave up four runs (all earned) on five hits and struck out one to one walk, while Wilson gave up a pair of hits and struck out one.
 
Overall, the Jaguars batted .306 on the weekend, slugged .389 and recorded a team on-base percentage of .409. USA outscored the Warhawks, 16-1, and outhit them, 22-15. The Jaguars completed their 12^th and 13^th shutouts to bookend the series and moved to 12-0 at home.
 
Pilkington led USA at the plate this weekend, batting .625 (5-for-8) with four runs scored and one RBI. She slugged .625 and recorded a .727 on-base percentage. The sophomore of Lake City, Fla., completed back-to-back multiple-hit games to end the series, now boasting a team-high 10-such performances this year.
 
Herron extended her current reached-base streak to 11 games after going 3-for-9 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored this weekend. Rathburn and junior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith each supplied four RBI apiece in the series, the latter also boasting a .545 on-base percentage after drawing a walk and being hit by a pair of pitches.
 
USA's pitching staff, which led the nation this week in ERA for the second week in a row, saw that very ratio shrink again, falling to 0.85 after allowing the Warhawks only a single run this weekend.
 
Campbell nabbed two wins in the circle, striking out 11 to one walk and allowing 10 hits in 13 innings pitched. Beard was 1-0 in two appearances, striking out six to no walks and allowing only three hits in 6 1/3.
 
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).