MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball heads northeast this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Appalachian State, the first played between the pair in Boone, North Carolina.
 
Links to live stats and video can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
 
USA (15-10, 3-2 SBC) swept the Mountaineers in three-games at Jaguar Field last year. South Alabama brings a five-game winning streak into Easter weekend, keyed by a three-game sweep of Louisiana-Monroe at home last weekend.
 
After starting the year off 0-4 on the road versus three top-five opponents, South Alabama has reeled off back-to-back road wins versus Southern Miss and UAB. App State is 3-7 at home this season. The Mountaineers recently split a doubleheader with Morehead State
 
South Alabama (15-10, 3-2 SBC) swept Louisiana-Monroe in Mobile last weekend after dropping two games at No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette to jump four spots in the league standings, leaving the bottom spot currently occupied by this weekend's opponent.
 
Appalachian State (7-24, 1-5 SC), in its second year in the SBC, is batting .267 entering the weekend, led by Natalie Orcutt. Who is hitting at a .375 clip with a team-high 25 walks and 21 runs scored. Cara Parker has a team-best 34 hits on the year, including eight doubles and seven home runs.
 
Vanessa Ciocatto has thrown a team-high 85 innings this season and owns a 5-12 record and 5.44 ERA in 24 appearances. Annaleise Kennedy is 2-7 in the circle with a 6.92 ERA in 61 2/3 innings.
 
USA is batting .294 collectively, with Emily Messer leading the way with a .523 average and a team-high 46 hits, including seven doubles, and 26 runs scored. Messer is slugging .693 with a .561 on-base percentage.
 
Stephanie Pilkington is slugging .514 with a team-best 19 RBI. Messer and Kaleigh Todd  have reached safely in their last 12 games, and Haleigh Lowe has done so for the last 11.
 
Devin Brown is 8-6 with a team-low 1.83 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings. Brown went 3-0 last week with a one-hitter and perfect game – the first of her career – in two appearances versus ULM to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Co-Pitcher of the Week and SBC Pitcher of the Week.
 
Brown picked up a save on Tuesday in USA's 3-1 win over UAB. Destin Vicknair improved to 7-3 with the win over the Blazers, dropping her ERA to 3.03.
 
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).