MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball swept Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader on Saturday to clinch its third consecutive league series behind a career day from junior center fielder Amanda Minahan.
 
Minahan hit 4-for-7 on Saturday, including a single, double, triple and home run, with a sacrifice bunt and stolen base, totaling four RBI and three runs scored.
 
Devin Brown (11-7) picked up the win in game one, holding the Panthers to only three hits with 10 strikeouts in the 7-0 Jaguar win. Destin Vicknair improved to 9-3 with her win in game two, a 5-2 victory for the hosts, after allowing only two runs (both earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts.
 
USA (20-11, 8-2 SBC) will look to sweep the series versus GSU (19-17, 4-4 SBC) on Sunday, with the possibility of capturing a ninth-straight league win. First pitch is scheduled for noon. Links to live stats, video and ticket information 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.

Game One – South Alabama 7, Georgia State 0
South Alabama jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Kaleigh Todd scored on a Panther fielding error.
 
USA then reeled off six runs in the bottom of the second to take a 7-0 lead. Kristian Foster led off the spree with a base hit to left field. Haleigh Lane was hit by a pitch in the next at bat, and Alex Breeden reached on a fielder's choice that saw Foster called out on the route to third after a collision with GSU shortstop Taylor Anderson.
 
Emily Messer singled up the middle to load the bags for Todd, who plated Lane with a base hit to double USA's lead to 2-0. Haleigh Lowe then took a pitch off the wrist with the bags juiced to score Breeden, before Minahan's three-run triple to right center put USA up, 6-0.
 
Pilkington followed with a base hit to left field to score Minahan and put the hosts ahead seven runs.
 
South Alabama worked around a season-high four errors to secure the victory, two of which occurred as GSU sought to answer in the top of the third. Mallory Koepke supplied the first Panther hit through the opening two-and-two-thirds innings when she singled to right center, advancing to second on a poor throw back to the infield, and then taking third on the attempt at a tag out at second.
 
Brown fanned top Panther hitter Ivie Drake to stifle the visitor threat, and then retired 12 of the final 15 batters she faced to see the game out.
 
Todd finished the contest 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Jags. Messer was 2-for-4 with a run, and MInahan was 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Lowe was 1-for-2 with a run and RBI, and Lane was 1-for-2 with a run. Pilkington went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Katie Worley suffered the loss for GSU after allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits with one strikeout. Reliever Amanda Chance threw 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief, allowing three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
 
Game Two – South Alabama 5, Georgia State 2
Georgia State took the initial lead in game two when Kensey Caldwell doubled to right center to score Anderson for a 1-0 Panther lead after back-to-back one-out singles for the visitors. Vicknair retired a pair in order to freeze Reagan Morgan at third to limit the damage to a single run.
 
South Alabama answered with a tying run on Foster two-out RBI single up the middle, which plated Messer, who led off the Jaguar half with a bunt single.
 
Minahan doubled with one away to right center in the bottom of the third, and Pilkington followed suit with a double of her own to score the former, as USA took a 2-1 lead.
 
Minahan then led off the bottom of the fifth with her team-leading third home run of the season to put the Jags ahead, 3-1. The hosts weren't done, however, as walks from Foster and Dayla Gulledge bookended Lane's base hit up the middle, to load the bags for Breeden, who's groundout scored Foster, as USA went up, 4-1.
 
Megan Harris then scored Lane with a bunt no Panther could reach for a 5-1 lead.
 
GSU scratched one run across in the top of the sixth to cut the host lead to three runs on Drake's bases-loaded walk after back-to-back singles from Brenna Skalski and Mallory Koepke. Morgan Brown, who scored on Drake's walk, reached before the hits on a fielder's choice, one of two that followed Mandy Blackwell's leadoff single.
 
Vicknair retired the Panthers in order in the top of the seventh to secure her fourth consecutive victory.
 
Minahan finished game two 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Foster went 1-for-2 with a run, RBI and two walks. Messer went 1-for-4 with a run to increase her on-base streak to 18 games, while Lowe's increased to 14 games and Lane's, 10.
 
Chance took the loss after giving up two runs (both earned) on five hits with two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Reliever Annie Davis gave up three runs (all earned) on four hits with three walks in 2 2/3 innings.

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).