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MOBILE, Ala. – No. 23 University of South Alabama softball bounced back from a pair of Saturday losses with a 10-2, mercy-rule victory over Southern Miss on Sunday.
 
USA (6-3) outhit the Golden Eagles, 12-6, on the day, powered by Emily Messer's 5-for-5 performance, and rode a quality performance from junior right-hander Destin Vicknair. The 12 hits are a season-high for the Jaguars, following a season-low two hits against SIU-Edwradsville on Saturday night in a 1-0 loss.
 
Sunday's win followed a string of three Jaguar losses at its own 2016 Mardi Gras Invitational to Mississippi State, Samford and SIU-Edwardsville. Mississippi State finished the weekend 4-0, while Samford and Southern Miss were 2-2 and SIU-Edwardsville was 1-3.
 
South Alabama travels to Baton Rouge on Wednesday to face LSU at 6 p.m. Links to live stats can be found on the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each South Alabama game @USAJagsSoftball.
 
Messer's five hits set a new single-game school record. Additionally, the senior scored two runs and drove in a pair. Paige Holmes was 2-for-2 with a career-high three RBI and a run scored. Haleigh Lane was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
 
Vicknair improved to 3-0 with the win, striking out six to two walks and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits.
 
Southern Miss (6-5) struck first on Jillian Johnson's bases-loaded walk in the first inning, but the Jaguars answered with a three-spot in the bottom half of the opening frame to take a 3-1 lead.
 
Alex Breeden drew a walk after the Jags loaded the bases, and Stephanie Pilkington grounded out to score Kaleigh Todd. Holmes supplied her first RBI with a single up the middle to plate Kristian Foster, who singled earlier in the inning.
 
The Golden Eagles cut the host lead to one in the top of the second when Katie Cleary grounded out to first, and Samantha Reynolds scored from third.
 
South Alabama took control over the final three innings, scoring seven unanswered, beginning with Todd's RBI groundout, which scored Messer, in the bottom of the fourth.
 
An inning later, Holmes lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Pilkington, and Haleigh Lane scored on a Southern Miss fielding error to put the Jaguars ahead, 6-2.
 
A four-run sixth inning enacted the mercy rule. With the bases loaded, Holmes scored Breeden with a base hit, and Lane scored her second run on Megan Harris's bases-loaded walk. Messer's single to right center scored Dayla Gulledge, who made her first start on Sunday, and Holmes to run the score to 10-2 and end play.
 
Johnson took the loss for Southern Miss, falling to an even 2-2 on the year after allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Meredith Miller gave up four runs (all earned) on as many hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief, while Danielle Block threw one-third of an inning and allowed one hit with a walk.
 
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).