COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 24 University of South Alabama softball weathered a fourth-inning Tennessee State rally to win, 6-3, on Saturday at the 2015 Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C., the Jaguars stretching their current win streak to five games.
 
USA (13-3) went ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the first frame and tacked on one more in the second and two more in the top of the fourth, before the Tigers cut that lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Tennessee State threatened further damage in the bottom of the fifth, after drawing three walks from South Alabama reliever Devin Brown (6-2), but the freshman forced a bases-loaded grounder to Jaguar junior third baseman Emily Messer, who collected an inning-ending putout at third to shut the door.
 
Sophomore Chloe Rathburn was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored to lead the Jaguars on Saturday, a day after supplying a walk-off double to propel USA past Charleston Southern.
 
Junior center fielder Stephanie Pilkington was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI, including a walk, as the Lake City, Fla., reached for the 16^th time in as many games this season. Messer scored a pair of runs, and senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith had one hit good for a pair of RBI. Senior first baseman Amanda Herron and freshman second baseman Kaleigh Todd each scored a run.
 
Brown was credited with her sixth win of the year after throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief of starter Kalen McGill. Brown struck out three to four walks and allowed one hit. McGill went 3 2/3, giving up three runs (all earned) on six Tiger hits, while striking out a pair.
 
USA was outhit, 7-5, on the day, marking just the second occasion all season that the Jaguars took a backseat in the category; still, South Alabama improved to 2-0 when being outhit thus far.
 
The Jaguars saw their six-run lead sliced in half in the bottom of the fourth Chelsey Buchanan lifted a sacrifice fly to left center, scoring Joselynn Yates from third after the Tigers loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a hit by pitch.
 
TSU shortstop Danice Gleason then tripled to right center to drive two more Tiger runners in.
 
 Brown entered for McGill after the three-base hit and forced a fly out to left field to stop the bleeding.
 
""We've got to lock in to competing as a team every pitch," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "If we do that, we'll continue to have success."
 
South Alabama wasted no time offensively on Saturday, beginning with a three-run opening frame. Messer swiped the first run after reaching on a Tiger fielding error and coming around on a Pilkington RBI triple. Rathburn then drove Pilkington in with a double before scoring herself on Griffith's triple.
 
Rathburn ripped a two-out RBI single through the right side an inning later to score Todd, who drew a four-pitch walk, as USA went ahead, 4-0, after two innings.
 
After Messer led off with an infield single in the top of the fourth, TSU reliever Savannah Womack hit Rathburn, Pilkington and Griffith in order, which allowed Messer to score, before Herron provided an RBI groundout that plated Pilkington.
 
Tennessee State starter Amber Gaylon (0-4) took the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) on as many hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings. Womack gave up two runs (both earned) on one hit with a pair of walks in 5 1/3 innings.
 
The Jaguars face Marshall at 9 a.m. and South Carolina at 11:30 a.m. CT on Sunday. A link to live stats can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided via the official USA softball handle, @USAJaguarSoftball.
 
The game versus Sout Carolina will be broadcast by SECNetwork+. A link to live video, provided via WatchESPN.com, is also included on the Jaguar softball schedule page.
 
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).