MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball travels to Starkville this Tuesday for a non-conference contest at Mississippi State set to broadcast at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
 
USA (26-16, 14-6 SBC) will eye a return to winning ways on Tuesday at Nusz Park, having lost its last five for the first time since 2011 after falling, 4-2, at No. 4 Alabama last Wednesday and being swept in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series for the first time since 2012 at Texas State over the weekend.
 
USA tied the contest versus the Crimson Tide, 2-2, in the second inning before a throwing error with two outs on the board allowed a pair of Alabama go-ahead runs to score. Tide reliever Alexis Osorio finished the Jags off by striking out seven of the final nine batters she faced.
 
Texas State right-hander Randi Rupp dominated in San Marcos over the weekend, going 3-0 and recording 27 strikeouts versus USA in 20 innings and holding the Jags to a .147 batting average.
 
After sweeping a doubleheader at Georgia Southern on April 16, South Alabama ran its league winning streak to a program-record 14 games. Conversely, the Jags have now lost four consecutive SBC contests for the first time since 2012.
 
South Alabama has batted .175 over the past five games, with opponents scoring 16 runs on 26 hits compared to USA's six runs on 21 hits. Through 17 games prior to the losing streak – 16 of those victories – USA batted .346 with only 18 runs allowed.
 
Tuesday's contest will be tinged with extra drama, as South Alabama and Mississippi State face off for the second time in 2016. The Bulldogs were victorious in the first meeting on Feb. 19 at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Mobile, scoring a pair of runs in the eighth inning to win, 4-2.
 
The Bulldogs (24-23, 3-15 SEC) recently were swept by No. 1 Florida in three games in Gainesville, being outscored 28-4 in the Southeastern Conference series. MSU dropped games one and two, 16-0 (5) and 6-3 respectively, before taking the finale into 10 innings before a Gator walk-off homer.
 
USA is batting .294 heading into Tuesday's contest, with senior third baseman Emily Messer still leading the way with a .434, 63 hits and 39 runs scored. Sophomore second baseman Kaleigh Todd is hitting .404 with 55 hits and 34 runs.Haleigh Lowe and Stephanie Pilkington have each driven in a team-high 28 runs.
 
The Jaguar pitching staff boasts a 2.14 ERA and is holding batters to a .207 average.
 
Devin Brown (15-10) owns a team-low 1.64 ERA and team-high 261 strikeouts. She is third in the NCAA in strikeouts and strikeouts per seven innings (11.0), having already set a new program record for the most in a season. Destin Vicknair is 11-5 with a 2.49 ERA.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJagua,rSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).