Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BOCA RATON, Fla. – No. 14/15 University of South Alabama softball defeated Marshall, 1-0, behind Farish Beard's 14 strikeouts before falling by a similar scoreline to Virginia Tech, despite Hannah Campbell taking a perfect game into the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The Jaguars move to 16-3 on the year. Beard now owns a 10-1 record, while Campbell falls to 4-2.
 
USA will look to bounce back on Saturday when it faces Illinois and host-Florida Atlantic at 3:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET, respectively.
 
USA 1, Marshall 0
Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith delivered a two-out, RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth to plate Gwen Jones, pinch-running for Amanda Minahan, who led off with a single, to give USA the winning margin in the first game of the day.
 
To that point, USA had left five runners stranded; however, Beard was red hot, and the slim margin was all the Jaguars needed to prevail.
 
Marshall's only production in the contest came in the outset, with leadoff Kaelynn Greene singling through the left side and subsequently stealing second. Morgan Zerkle then drew a walk and advanced to second on when Greene was caught stealing at third.
 
Zerkle then moved to third on an illegal pitch before Beard retired 19 straight Thundering Herd batters to see the game out. Beard was two strikeouts off the career-high 15 she recorded against UT-San Antonio last weekend in Gulfport, Miss. The performance marked her fifth double-digit strikeout showing this season.
 
Griffith was without a hit in her previous two games and without an RBI in her previous eight contests.
 
USA 0, Virginia Tech 1
The Jaguars placed a leadoff batter on base in five of seven innings against the Hokies, but profited off none of the chances, finishing the clash with seven runners left stranded.
 
Stephanie Pilkington was the only USA batter to record a hit, going 2-for-3. Underclassmen Emily Messer, Amanda Minahan and Taylor Rodgers each drew a walk apiece.
 
Campbell retired 18 consecutive Hokie batters to start the contest before VT's Kylie McGoldrick led off the bottom of the seventh with a double that fell in the left center gap. McGoldrick later rounded home on Katey Smith's single to center field.
 
USA loaded the bases in the top of the second inning after consecutive hit-by-pitches to Griffith and Minahan and Rodgers's walk, but back-to-back strikeouts nullified the early Jaguar opportunity.
 
Campbell finished the day with five strikeouts and only one walk issued. Kelly Heinz evened her season record to 5-5 with the win after striking out five Jaguar batters and issuing three 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).