Box Score

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 20 University of South Alabama softball pulled to within two runs of LSU in the top of the fourth inning after going down 3-0 in the opening two frames, but LSU scored three unanswered across the final three innings to hand the Jaguars a 6-1 defeat at Tiger Park on Wednesday.
 
The five-run margin of defeat is USA's worst of the season. The Jaguars fall to 34-10 (11-5 SBC) overall, 7-6 on the road and 3-2 versus Southeastern Conference opponents. The Tigers avenged USA's 2-1 victory over LSU at the Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La., in February.
 
LSU (28-20) outhit USA, 7-3, on Wednesday, while both teams committed one error apiece. Chloe Rathburn delivered a sacrifice fly that scored pinch-runner Gwen Jones for USA's only run of the contest.
 
Allison Falcon and Tammy Wray each had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers , while A.J. Andrews drew three walks and scored three runs, and Bianka Bell drove in a pair.
 
Freshman Holly McKinnon got the start in the circle for USA, only her third of the year. The Anthony, Fla., native gave up four runs (all earned) on four hits and six walks, while striking out two in four innings, ultimately suffering her first loss of the year, falling to 2-1.
 
Senior Hannah Campbell gave up two runs (both unearned) on three hits and four hit by pitches in a pair of relief innings.
 
Baylee Corbello picked up the win for LSU, moving to 14-7 on the year after striking out eight Jaguar batters to three walks and allowing only one run (unearned) on three hits.
 
"Tonight was a night for us to compete in a great environment," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "This was a great road challenge. In the future, we need to do a better job of controlling and managing the strike zone to give our offense a chance to give us a couple of runs.
 
"We're young; we'll figure that part out, and we'll be better next time we come out," Clark concluded.
 
LSU went up two runs in the bottom of the first after McKinnon walked the first four batters she faced, and Constance Quinn provided a sacrifice fly that scored Jacee Blades.
 
Sahvanna Jaquish plated Andrews from second on a two-out RBI double to right center to put the Tigers up three runs after two complete.
 
Jones, pinch-running for Amanda Herron, who drew a leadoff walk for USA in the top of the fourth, scratched the Jaguars' only run across on Rathburn's sacrifice fly to center field. Rathburn now leads the club in the category with three this season.
 
Another two-out RBI double, this one from Bell, put LSU up 4-1 on a play that scored Andrews a half-inning later.
 
The Tigers pulled away with a pair of runs after a Jaguar fielding error in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and a runner on first for LSU, Kaitlyn Griffith mishandled Taylor Rodgers's flip to second for a force out that would've been the second out. After a LSU groundout, Allison Falcon delivered a two-out single to third that scored pinch-runner Alex Boulet from third to put the hosts up 5-1. Wray then singled to left center to score Quinn.
 
USA returns to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend when it travels to Western Kentucky for a three-game series, which takes place 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).