MOBILE, Ala. – No. 22 University of South Alabama softball shut Georgia Southern out twice to sweep a Saturday Sun Belt Conference doubleheader at Jaguar Field, as USA clinched its fourth straight league series to extend its win streak in the conference to 12 games.
 
USA (30-7, 13-SBC) won game one, 7-0, and forced the mercy in game two after going ahead, 11-0. South Alabama outhit the Eagles, 21-5, on the day and outscored them, 18-0. The Jaguars moved to 15-4 at home this year, having now won their last eight in Mobile.
 
Freshman right-hander Kalen McGill (13-1; 2.01 ERA) earned her second career complete-game victory in game one, while senior Farish Beard recorded her third career no-hitter in game two. McGill struck out two and scattered five Eagle hits with no walks, and Beard struck out 10 Georgia Southern batters to only two walks.
 
Jaguar junior third baseman Emily Messer was 5-for-8 on the day with four runs scored and an RBI. Junior catcher Stephanie Pilkington and freshman second baseman Kristian Foster each recorded three hits with two runs scored and two RBI, while senior Alyssa Linn and Kaitlyn Griffith supplied three RBI apiece. Griffith delivered two sacrifice flies in game two.
 
Senior left fielder Blair Johnson tied her career season-high when she lifted her fifth homer of the year over left field in game one. She finished with three runs scored on the day.
 
"Today was a great day all the way around," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "We got great pitching with two shutouts, and our offense did a great job of putting on pressure and keeping it on. We ran the bases extremely well today, and our defense played great.
 
"Our pitching staff has really been giving us chances and throwing strikes," Clark added. "Farish has really battled to get back into a rhythm, so it's fun to see her do that."
 
USA looks to complete it fourth SBC series sweep on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. Links to live stats, ticket information and live video streaming can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game twitter updates are provided via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
 
GAME ONE – No. 22 South Alabama 7, Georgia Southern 0
USA used a four-run third inning and three-run sixth to dispatch the Eagles in game one.
 
Messer led of the bottom of the third with a single to third base and went to second after the throw to first sailed wide. Foster followed with a double to right field to put two in scoring position for Pilkington. The Lake City, Fla., native lifted a sacrifice fly to left field for USA's first run, followed by Griffith, who did the same to center, which doubled the Jaguar lead.
 
Sophomore center fielder Amanda Minahan then uncorked her fourth homer of the season to score senior Gwen Jones, who pinch ran for Rathburn, who got on with a base hit, to put USA ahead, 4-0.
 
Johnson's one-out, solo bomb to right field put the Jags ahead, 5-0, in the bottom of the sixth. Foster then drove in Linn and Messer, who singled and doubled, respectively, with a single down the right field line to put South Alabama ahead, 7-0.
 
Messer finished 3-for-4 in game one with two runs scored to lead all Jaguars. Foster was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Minahan finished with two RBI and a run scored.
 
McGill's victory was her sixth in a row.
 
Heather Felt suffered the loss for Georgia Southern after giving up seven runs (all earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks.
 
GAME TWO – No. 22 South Alabama 11, Georgia Southern 0 (5 inn.)
South Alabama recorded 11 runs in the first three innings, including five apiece in the first and third, en route to winning its seventh contest by run rule.
 
After leadoff singles by Messer and Foster in the bottom of the first, Griffith lifted her second sacrifice fly of the day to left center, and Rathburn singled to right center to put USA ahead, 2-0. Minahan drew a walk, and Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bags for senior first baseman Amanda Herron, who drew a walk to make it 3-0 USA.
 
Linn capped scoring in the initial frame with a two-out, two-run single to right field, which put USA up, 5-0.
 
Rathburn doubled through the left side to plate Pilkington, who got on with a one-out single up the middle, as USA went ahead, 6-0, in the bottom of the second.
 
Linn's third RBI of the game came on a groundout that all Johnson to score in the bottom of the third after the latter drew a leadoff walk. Jones, pinch-running for Herron, who singled, then scored on Messer 's single through the right side, as USA went ahead, 8-0.
 
Pilkington's single through the right side scored Messer, and Griffith lifted a third sacrifice fly of the day to left center to plate Foster. Pilkington then scored on an Eagle throwing error off the bat of Rathburn to put USA ahead, 11-0.
 
Beard retired the final seven Eagle batters she faced to seal the no-hitter, the third of her career and 12^th in USA history.

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).