GULF SHORES, Ala. – No.23 University of South Alabama softball defeated 2014 Southland regular season champion McNeese State, 5-1, to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Eastern Kentucky earlier in the day on Saturday at the 2015 Sand Dollar Classic at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
 
The Jaguars (2-2) left nine runners on against the Colonels, and a USA passed ball in the fifth inning led to the decisive run in the first game, but South Alabama scratched across five runs on seven hits versus the Cowgirls, using four pitchers to hold McNeese State to a single run in the nightcap to move to 2-1 on the weekend.
 
EKU senior right-hander Leanna Pittsenbarger moved to 2-1 on the year with her win over the Jaguars after allowing no runs off eight hits, while striking out six to a pair of walks. The Colonels moved to 3-2 on the year with the victory.
 
"We didn't play well enough in the first game to win," said USA head coach Becky Clark."That was a good team with a good pitcher, and we didn't do what we needed to do to beat her. There are no excuses there, other than we just didn't compete the way we needed to compete.
 
"In the second game, we decided we were going to compete a little bit. We dug in and got after it," Clark added. "That's what we've got to get a little more consistent with: that level of committing to competing. Every time you step between the lines, you've got to go after the other person like your life depends on it. I thought they did that in the second game."
 
The Jaguars outhit McNeese State, 7-5, and stranded only four runners against the Cowgirls, powered by a pitching quarter consisting of starting senior Farish Beard and relievers Kaleigh Floore, Kalen McGill and Devin Brown. Brown, who made the first start of her career against Liberty on Friday, picked up the first save of her career.
 
USA's offense in the second game was powered by senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. She'd not recorded a hit this season prior.
 
Sophomore Amanda Minahan also went 2-for-3, scoring a pair of runs. Junior center fielder Stephanie Pilkington had one hit for two RBI, and her classmate Emily Messer added a hit and a run.
 
"The difference in the second game was that we came out and really competed," Griffith said. "Some people stepped up and got some big hits, and that sparked a fire. We need to learn from that first game today and take what we did in the second and apply it to every game. That will translate to a good year for us."
 
No. 23 South Alabama 0, Eastern Kentucky 1 (Game One)
South Alabama, the designated visitors in game one, left a pair of runners on in the opening half-inning after Pilkington drew a two-out walk, and sophomore Chloe Rathburn doubled to left center, but senior left fielder Blair Johnson popped up to third base to end the chance.
 
Senior first baseman Amanda Herron delivered a two-out double to left field an inning later, and the Jaguars loaded the bases after senior Alyssa Linn and freshman second baseman Kaleigh Todd walked and singled, respectively; but Messer's liner was snuffed out by Pittsenbarger in the circle.
 
The Colonels loaded the bags in the bottom of the second on a pair of singles and a Jaguar fielding error, but McGill forced a grounder out of leadoff Krislyn Campos.
 
EKU's Katie Tackett got on with a one-out single in the bottom of the third, prompting Clark to insert Brown, who recorded her first career win on Friday in a shutout one-hitter versus Liberty. Brown hit the first batter she faced, but then struck out a pair to leave two Colonels stranded.
 
Each team went down in order over the next inning, until EKU scratched across the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth when Campos, after singling to lead off the frame, came around on a passed ball.
 
USA was retired in order in the top of the sixth. Messer got on with a two-out double in the top of the seventh, but the Jaguars could not capitalize, Pilkington flying out to left field to end the contest.
 
Brown fell to 1-1 on the year with the loss after giving up one run on a single hit in 3 ? innings. She struck out 10 of the 14 batters she faced and gave up only one walk. McGill gave up three hits and struck out two to no walks in 2 1/3 innings.
 
No. 23 South Alabama 5, McNeese State 1 (Game Two)
Beard, Floore, McGill and Brown combined to allow just one McNeese State run (earned) on five hits, striking out six to nine walks.
 
Beard got the start and went two innings, striking out two to three walks before being exchanged for Floore, who pitched three frames, giving up the run on three hits, while striking out two to three walks. McGill gave up two hits and walked three batters in 2 1/3, with Brown coming in to finish off the contest by striking out both batters she faced in the top of the seventh.
 
McNeese State loaded the bases in the top of the third inning, after Beard allowed a leadoff walk, and Floore gave up a single and base on balls, but the latter forced a groundout from Bryanna Castro to end the threat.
 
Pilkington's two-run single up the middle put USA on the board in the bottom half of the same frame, plating Griffith, who was hit by a pitch, and Messer, who got on with a single.
 
The Jaguars added two more an inning later when Griffith ripped a two-run double off the wall in right field, which allowed freshman Haleigh Lowe, pinch-running for senior catcher Alex Breeden (single), and Minahan (leadoff single) to score, making it 4-0.
 
The Cowgirls got on the board in the top of the fifth when Erika Piancastelli's RBI groundout allowed leadoff Lauren Lagner to come around.
 
Griffith's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth brought Minahan home after the latter led off the frame with a single to push USA's advantage to 5-1.
 
After McGill walked a pair and then gave up a single to load the bases for McNeese State, Brown entered and sat down the final pair of Cowgirl batters swinging, improving her weekend strikeout total to 18.
 
The Jaguars conclude the 2015 Sand Dollar Classic with a 1 p.m. showdown versus Houston.
 
Links to live stats and radio broadcast via Jaguar All-Access, featuring play-by-play by Braden Cheek, can be found on the South Alabama softball schedule page shortly before first pitch. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each Jaguar softball via the program's official handle @USAJagsSoftball.

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).