Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 11 University of South Alabama  softball matched the 2012 national champions in hits, and junior Farish Beard pitched five innings of shutout ball, but No. 4 Alabama's three-run bottom-of-the-second was enough to snap the Jaguars' 13-game win streak and 17-game road victory streak.
 
USA falls to 29-4 on the year, suffering its third shutout loss in 33 games and falling victim to a road loss for the first time since the club lost to the Crimson Tide, then ranked No. 1 in the nation, on Feb. 28, 2013.
 
The Tide moves to 32-5 on the year and 17-2 at Rhoads Stadium. UA also moves to 9-0 all-time versus the Jaguars.
 
Beards struck out four to only one walk and gave up a season-high-tying five hits on the night, falling to 16-2 on the year and losing a decision for the first time since her first loss on Feb. 15 versus Northwestern. The Fairhope, Ala., native gave up a season-high three runs, though all were unearned.
 
Her NCAA-leading ERA falls to 0.40.
 
USA sophomore Emily Messer recorded a season-high three hits, going 3-for-3 on Wednesday night.  Alex Breeden and Amanda Minahan each recorded a hit apiece. USA left eight runners stranded.
 
Sydney Littlejohn earned the win in the circle for Alabama after striking out a pair and giving up three hits to no walks in four innings. Jackie Traina secured her second save of the year after striking out four Jaguars to no walks and allowing a pair of hits in three innings of relief.
 
The Jaguars twice put runners on second and third – even loading the bases in the top of the fifth – but could not produce the vital hit that would push runners across.
 
In the top of the second, Amanda Herron reached on a fielding error by Alabama shortstop Danae Hays. Breeden followed with USA's first hit of the game, a two-out single through the left side. After a Littlejohn pitch snuck past catcher Molly Fichtner, the runners advanced to second and third, but Hays reeled in Taylor Rodgers's liner to end the inning.
 
UA scored all three of its runs a half-inning later on Andrea Hawkins's bloop double to left field, which snuck over the head of USA shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith and allowed Leona Lafaele (E3F), Traina (hit by pitch) and Haylie McCleney (two-out walk) to score.
 
USA responded in the top of the third by putting runners on second and third again, after Messer delivered a leadoff single and Blair Johnson reached on a fielding error by Tide second baseman Kaila Hunt, but Chloe Rathburn directed her deep shot straight into McCleney's glove for the inning-ending out.
 
Beard allowed only one hit to the Tide in the next two innings before USA filled the bases in the top of the fifth. Rodgers drew a hit by pitch to lead things off and was replaced by pinch-runner Gwen Jones. Messer followed with another single before Traina entered the circle for Alabama.
 
The reliever struck out USA leadoff Stephanie Pilkington before Minahan got on with an infield single to load the bases. Johnson batted into a fielder's choice that saw Jones forced out at home, and Rathburn, again, was unable to produce after grounding out to third.
 
Each club managed only a single hit in the remainder of the contest, USA's coming via Messer in the top of the seventh. After a wild Traina pitch allowed Messer to enter scoring position, Minahan's line out sealed the Jaguar loss, its first since March 7 – a 1-0 defeat to Virginia Tech.
 
Wednesday's loss to Alabama marked the first for USA to be decided by more than one run.
 
The Jaguars return to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend when they travel to San Marcos to face Texas State in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
 
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).