COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 24 University of South Alabama softball completed a four-game sweep at the 2015 Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C., with Sunday defeats of Marshall and host South Carolina.
 
Freshman Kristian Foster lifted a two-run home run to center field to supply the Jaguars a 5-3, walk-off win versus Marshall, which propelled the club to an early offensive outburst in the following contest, as USA jumped ahead of the Gamecocks, 3-0, in the top of the first inning before holding on for a 4-1 victory.
 
"Those were two great team wins today," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "I'm really proud to have seen us step up today and play hard for 14 innings. We competed hard all day, and everyone contributed. Both of those teams were good offensively, and our pitchers combined to do a great job. And then, our batters concentrated on every pitch, and some great results came out of that."
 
South Alabama (15-3), winners of seven straight, opened the 2015 Carolina Classic with a 3-2 win over Charleston Southern on Friday, thanks to sophomore Chloe Rathburn's walk-off hit, before defeating Tennessee State, 6-3, on Saturday.
 
Rathburn finished the weekend 6-for-12 (.500) with six RBI and two runs scored, as well as an .833 slugging percentage and .600 on-base percentage. Junior center fielder Stephanie Pilkington was 4-for-10 (.400) with four runs scored, while classmate Emily Messer scored five runs and drove in three.
 
USA freshmen pitchers Devin Brown (7-2; 1.88 ERA) and Kalen McGill (7-0; 1.85 ERA) each went 2-0 in the circle, with the former striking out 26 to 11 walks and allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 18 innings, while the latter struck out 10 to one walk and allowed three runs (all earned) on nine hits in 10 innings.
 
The Jaguars batted .267 on the weekend, out hitting its four opponents, 28-17, and outscoring them, 18-9. USA slugged .390 and recorded a .391 overall on-base percentage, while also stealing five bases in as many tries.
 
South Alabama's pitching staff held opposing batters to a .163 average and combined to strike out 36 in 28 total innings.
 
Game One – No. 24 South Alabama 5, Marshall 3
Marshall (13-5) struck first on Sunday when Kaelynn Greene struck out swinging but reached first on a wild Brown pitch. She stole second and then reached third and home plate on two more wild pitches to put the Herd ahead in the top of the first inning, 1-0.
 
South Alabama jumped ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the third on Rathburn's two-out, two-run double to right center, which plated Pilkington, who walked and freshman Kaleigh Todd, who pinch ran for Foster after the latter started the latter with a double of her own.
 
A pair of Jaguar throwing errors allowed Marshall right fielder Emileigh Cooper to both reach and score, which tied the game at 2-2, before a USA fielding error allowed leadoff Morgan Zerkle to score and put the Herd ahead, 3-2.
 
USA's three-run seventh inning began when Messer drove in freshman Haleigh Lowe, pinch-running for senior first baseman Amanda Herron, who singled down the left field line, from second to tie the game at three-all. Foster then took a 3-1 pitch deep over the wall in straightaway center for her first career home run and a walk-off Jaguar victory.
 
Foster was 2-for-4 in the contest with two RBI and a run scored to lead USA at the plate. Messer finished with a hit, RBI and run scored, while Rathburn recorded two RBI and Pilkington scored once and drew a walk.
 
McGill earned her seventh win after striking out three to no walks in 2 2/3 shutout innings. Brown went 4 1/3, striking out eight to two walks and allowing three runs (one earned) on a pair of hits.
 
Marshall's Jordan Dixon (12-5) took the loss after giving up five runs (all earned) on as many hits in 6 2/3 innings. She struck out four and walked four.
 
Game Two – No. 24 South Alabama 4, South Carolina 1
Yet reeling from its walk-off victory versus Marshall, the Jaguars jumped ahead to a 3-0 lead versus South Carolina (14-5), beginning with a Rathburn RBI double that scored Messer, who reached from the leadoff position on a muffed Gamecock throw. Pilkington singled just before and scored on senior left fielder Blair Johnson's groundout to second base, which doubled the Jaguar lead to 2-0.
 
Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith then singled to right field to plate Rathburn.
 
South Carolina scratched one across in the bottom of the first when center fielder Kristen Struett delivered an RBI single to right field that scored Alaynie Page, who led off with a triple to right center, cutting USA's lead to two runs, 3-1.
 
The Jaguars added an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Messer's single stretched wide of Gamecock shortstop Krystan White's glove and allowed Herron, who drew a leadoff walk from South Carolina reliever Julie Sarratt, restoring USA's three-run advantage.
 
Rathburn finished the contest 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and run scored. Pilkington was 2-for-4 with a run scored, reaching for the 18^th straight game this season. Messer had a hit, run and RBI, while Johnson and Griffith each recorded a hit and run. Herron drew two walks with a hit and run scored.
 
Brown was credited with the win over South Carolina after she struck out eight Gamecock batters to only a pair of walks, while allowing one run (earned) on three hits, in 4 1/3 innings. McGill earned her first career save after throwing 2 2/3 shutout innings, striking out four to no walks and allowing no hits.
 
Nickie Blue (8-2) took the loss for South Carolina after giving up three runs (none earned) on eight hits, while striking out six to one walk. Sarratt gave up one runs (earned) on three hits and walked three in a pair of relief innings.
 
South Alabama opens Sun Belt Conference play next weekend when it hosts No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette for a three-game series at Jaguar Field on March 7-8. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a noon first pitch, and game three is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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).