GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 25 University of South Alabama softball defeated Southeast Missouri State, 5-2, on Sunday to improve its record in the opening week of the 2016 campaign to a perfect 5-0.
 
USA won all four of its games at the 2016 Sand Dollar Classic, hosted by The Fieldhouse, at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. The Jaguars defeated Lipscomb, 7-3, on Friday, before recording back-to-back, mercy-rule shutouts versus Ball State and Central Arkansas on Saturday.
 
The Jaguars scored four unanswered runs to surmount the Redhwaks on Sunday after twice trailing. SEMO (1-4) struck first in the top half of the opening frame on Savannah Carpenter's solo homer, the first and only USA has given up all year.
 
South Alabama tied the game in the bottom half of the first on Kristian Foster's two-out, RBI single to left field, which plated Emily Messer, who led off with an infield single.
 
SEMO went ahead, 2-1, in the top of the second on a Jaguar fielding error, after Haleigh Lane bobbled Nicole Deering's bloop hit to right center, and Sarah Messex scored on the play.
 
Again, it was Foster who canceled out the Jaguar deficit, this time when she singled to bring home Stephanie Pilkington to level the game at 2-2 in the third inning.
 
Megan Harris led off the bottom of the fourth inning with an infield single, and then scored on a Redhawk throwing error to give USA a 3-2 lead. Haleigh Lowe then supplied an infield groundout that allowed Messer to score her second run of the game to give USA a two-run advantage.
 
Messer ripped a two-out single to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning to plate Paige Holmes, who got on with a base hit of her own, to push the score to 5-2.
 
Abby Tincher earned her first start as a Jaguar, going three innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Devin Brown pitched four innings of relief and picked up the win to improve to 3-0 after striking out eight and allowing no runs or hits in four frames.
 
Haley Thogmartin took the loss for the Redhawks after allowing three runs (all earned) on seven Jaguar hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts in three innings. Mackenzie Hoelting threw three innings of relief, giving up two runs (both earned) on four hits with a walk and strikeout.
 
Messer finished the day 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Foster was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, and Holmes recorded a pair of hits and a run scored. Pilkington was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Harris was 1-for-2 with a run.         
 
On the 5-0 start to the season, head coach Becky Clark said, "It is not a lucky 5-0; they earned their wins. We worked incredibly hard, mentally and physically, this weekend. If I had to grade them from Thursday to today, I'd give them an 'A' for sure.
 
"We learned some things today that we need to get better at, but these ladies have been working at a very high level and haven't made many mistakes," Clark added.
 
South Alabama returns to action next weekend when it hosts the 2016 Mardi Gras Invitational on Feb. 19-21. USA will host Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi State at 5 p.m. on Friday to kick off its schedule at the event.
 
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).