STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 22 University of South Alabama softball jumped ahead of Mississippi State by three runs and staved off a series of Bulldog rallies across the final three innings to win, 3-2, on Wednesday night at MSU Softball Field.
 
USA (32-7) went up, 1-0, in the top of the fourth and scratched two more across an inning later, with Mississippi State (31-13) inching closer with a run a piece in the fifth and sixth frames, but Jaguar senior Farish Beard recorded her first career save against a Bulldog club that has come back to win on 14 occasions this year.
 
"This was a really well-played game tonight – it kind of had a postseason feel to it," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "It was a great win for us on the road. I felt like our kids were prepared, I felt like they competed, and I felt like they were composed the entire game. I'm proud of our effort tonight."
 
USA moves to 10-2 on the road this year and evens its record versus Southeastern Conference opponents to 2-2, having now defeated the Bulldogs and South Carolina in 2015.
 
The Jaguars improve to 4-2 all-time versus Mississippi State, having now won the last four matchups against the Bulldogs.
 
After a leadoff double to left field, Jaguar senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith moved to third on sophomore Amanda Minahan's infield base hit and then scored on senior left fielder Blair Johnson's RBI groundout to second base, which put South Alabama on the board first.
 
Sophomore Chloe Rathburn then tripled USA's lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run single that fell inches short of clearing the bases, which were full after freshman Kristian Foster and Griffith drew walks to bookend a fielder's choice which allowed Pilkington to reach.
 
Freshman Kaleigh Todd pinch ran for Foster at first and scored a second Jag run, followed by Pilkington, as USA grew a 3-0 lead.
 
Bulldog center fielder Loryn Nichols reached on a Jaguar throwing error to lead off the bottom of the fifth and then later scored on Caroline Seitz's two-out single up the middle, as Mississippi State pulled back a two-run deficit after five complete.
 
USA went down in order in the top of the sixth, and the Bulldogs led off the bottom half of the frame with back-to-back singles from pitcher Alexis Silkwood and catcher Katie Anne Bailey. At this point, McGill was exchanged for Beard, who struck first baseman Erika Gaul out swinging before shortstop Kayla Winkfield lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate pinch-runner Madison Arroyo to make it a one-run game.
 
Beard escaped the inning with a strikeout and led off the bottom of the seventh in the same fashion. Beard then dealt a pair of walks on either side of a forced pop up to first, but sealed the Jaguar victory by batting down Silkwood's bouncer back up the middle and making the throw to first.
 
Rathburn finished 1-for-3 with two RBI, marking her team-leading 15^th multiple-RBI game this season. Griffith and Pilkington recorded a hit and run apiece, while Todd scored for the sixth time in her last six appearances. Minahan was 1-for-3 and has now reached safely in her last 16 contests.
 
Johnson's RBI moved her into a tie for second in Jaguar history in the category, as the Kimberly, Ala., native is now equal with former USA standout Christin Crocker with 115 in her career.
 
McGill (14-1) carried a no-hitter 3 1/3 innings on Wednesday, recording her seventh victory in a row after striking out three to one walk and allowing two runs (one earned) on four Bulldog hits in five innings pitched. Beard allowed no runs or hits and struck out three to a pair of walks in two innings.
 
Mississippi State's Alexis Silkwood (22-10), a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week over the past two voting periods, suffered the loss after allowing three runs (all earned) on four Jaguar hits in a complete-game effort.
 
South Alabama returns to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend when it hosts Texas State in the final regular-season league home series of the year. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. as does Sunday's finale.

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).