MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball defeated Georgia State, 5-0, on Sunday to complete a third-consecutive Sun Belt Conference series sweep.
 
Haleigh Lane led USA (21-11, 9-2 SBC) at the plate on 2-for-3 hitting with a career-high three RBI. Devin Brown pitched her ninth shutout of the year, striking out six batters to a walk and scattering four Panther hits to improve her record to 12-7.
 
South Alabama has won 10 of its last 11 games, including nine consecutive league victories. The Jaguars travel to Mississippi State on Wednesday, April 6, for a 6 p.m. contest scheduled to broadcast on SEC Network+.
 
Links to live stats, video and play-by-play audio 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 took a one-run lead in the second inning, before putting the game out of reach with a four-spot in the fifth.
 
After supplying a one-out double, Stephanie Pilkington moved to third on Kristian Foster's base hit, and then scored on Lane's single to shallow left field, as USA went ahead, 1-0.
 
Brown retired nine of the next 10 batters she faced, before the Jaguar offense provided some insurance in a big way in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
Messer led off the spree with her 10^th career triple, which places her in a tie with former Jaguar standout Brittany Fowler for the most in program history. Kaleigh Todd followed with a base hit, and Amanda Minahan lifted a sacrifice fly to right center to plate Messer and double USA's lead to 2-0.
 
Haleigh Lowe drew a walk in the next at-bat and moved into scoring position with Todd on a wild Katie Worley pitch. Worley threw wide of the mark for a second time to allow Todd around for a three-run Jag lead.
 
Back-to-back walks to Pilkington and Foster loaded the bags for Lane, and the freshman from Jasper, Ala., lifted a high pop up on the infield, but GSU shortstop Taylor Anderson lost the ball in the sun, and two runs scored for a 5-0 USA lead.
 
Arden Jobe drew a two-out walk, and Morgan Brown got on with a base hit in the top of the seventh for Georgia State, but Brown forced a pop up to Foster at shortstop to end the contest.
 
Messer, Todd, Pilkington and Foster finished with a hit apiece, with Pilkington scoring a pair of runs. Messer increased her on-base streak to 19 games, while Lowe pushed hers 17 and Lane, 11. Lane has now also hit safely in her last nine games, and Foster has reached safely in the last nine.
 
GSU starter Katie Worley suffered the loss after giving up five runs (all earned) on as many hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. Amanda Chance threw an inning-and-a-third of shutout relief with a walk and one hit allowed.
 
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).