MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball shut out Kennesaw State, 9-0, in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Jaguar Field behind Devin Brown's third no-hitter of the season, and then scored seven unanswered runs late in game two for an 8-6 win, capped by Amanda Minahan's walk-off homer.
 
USA (29-16) concluded the non-conference portion of its schedule with the doubleheader sweep and will round out regular-season play when it hosts in-state rival Troy for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series next weekend.
 
The Jaguars will host the 2016 SBC Tournament, beginning on May 11. For ticket information and game times, follow the links provided in the tab section of the softball webpage.
 
Brown struck out 11 Owl batters against one walk and retired 14 of the 16 batters she faced in game one. The shutout was Brown's 10^th this year, which places her in a tie with former Jaguar standout pitcher and now South Alabama assistant coach Hannah Campbell for the most in a season.
 
Brown struck out two of the four Kennesaw State batters she faced in a seventh-inning relief appearance and was credited with the win, improving her week's record to 3-0. Destin Vicknair got the start in game two for USA, striking out a pair to no walks and allowing six runs (three earned) on four hits.
 
Dayla Gulledge's first career grand slam – the first for any Jaguar since 2013 – put South Alabama five runs clear of the Owls in game one. A pair of costly Jaguar errors gave Kennesaw State momentum in game two, and the Owls went ahead by as much as 6-1, but the hosts scored seven runs on eight hits across the final two innings for the come-from-behind victory.
 
 The Jags outhit Kennesaw State, 18-5, on the day and outscored the Owls, 17-6, in the doubleheader. USA batted .360 with a collective slugging percentage of .560, while the Owls were held to a .122 overall batting average.
 
Game One – South Alabama 9, Kennesaw State 0 (5 inn.)
Emily Messer scored on Stephanie Pilkington's RBI single to put the Jaguars ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the third, before Gulledge rocketed a grand slam off the scoreboard in left center to put USA up, 5-0. Kaleigh Todd, Pilkington and Minahan scored on the play.
 
Kristian Foster later reached on a fielder's choice that saw Haleigh Lane forced out at second, and then scored on Alex Breeden's two-out RBI double over right center, as the hosts extended their lead to 6-0.
 
USA took advantage of two Kennesaw State fielding errors in the bottom of the fourth, tacking on three final runs to initiate the NCAA mercy rule. Todd drew a leadoff walk, stole second and moved to third on Pilkington's base hit. Gulledge reached on a booted grounder to load the bags.
 
Lane's base hit allowed Todd to score, and Foster reached for a second time by fielder's choice, but no out was recorded on the play, as Owl shortstop Anastasi Villanueva threw wide of her mark at second. Pinch-runner Taylor Stevens scored on the play for an 8-0 Jag lead.
 
Breeden then drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Gulledge for the game's final run.
 
Pilkington finished game one 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Todd scored twice on 1-for-1 hitting with two walks. Gulledge was 1-for-2 with a career-high four RBI and two runs scored. Breeden drove in a pair of runs. The Jaguars drew seven total walks in the contest.
 
Brown struck out each Owl batter at least once in the game. Monica Vickery suffered the loss for Kennesaw State after giving up five runs (all earned) on three hits with four walks, a hit batsman and no strikeouts. Reliever Jenna Kniss gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits with a strikeout and three walks.
 
Game Two – South Alabama 8, Kennesaw State 6
USA took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame of game two when Minahan lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Todd, who got on with a base hit and moved to third on back-to-back singles from Pilkington and Gulledge.
 
The Jags managed only one hit over the next four innings before constructing the comeback, which was made necessary when a pair of South Alabama defensive miscues allowed Kennesaw State to scratch six runs across to take a 6-1 lead.
 
Kara Chambers drew a walk to lead off the top of the fourth, and Taylor Denton got on with a bunt single. Courtney Sutter then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but ended up reaching first on a Jaguar fielding error that allowed Chambers to score. Kniss then supplied a sacrifice fly to score Denton, as the visitors went up, 2-1.
 
Megan Verniga, who took one off the back, and pinch-runner Katie Cannington each moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, before rounding home when Todd kicked Rachel Dennis's grounder, as Kennesaw State went up, 4-1.
 
The Owls scratched two more across an inning later on Sutter's base hit back up the box, which plated Denton and Noelle Winkles, who led off the inning with a single.
 
USA climbed to within one score of the Owls with a four-spot in the bottom of the sixth, sparked by Messer's leadoff double to center field. Todd followed up with a base hit to put runners at the corners, and Pilkington delivered a sacrifice fly to left center to bring Messer home and cut the deficit to four.
 
After Gulledge popped up to second, Minahan doubled down the left field line to score Todd. Lane then singled to put runners on the edges again, and Foster doubled down the line in right field to score Minahan and bring the score to 6-4 Kennesaw State.
 
Breeden followed with a base hit to Denton at second base for the Owls, allowing Lane to score, but Denton made a good enough stop on the play to keep the Jags from scoring twice and tying the contest.
 
The hosts wouldn't have to wait long, however. Again, Messer started the rally, this time the senior leading off the bottom of the seventh with a hit back up the middle. Pilkington reached on a fielder's choice, but the throw attempt to force out Messer at second went wide, and runners were on the corners for Gulledge, who reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Messer to score and tie the game at 6-6.
 
Minahan then homered for the fifth time this season to score Gulledge and end the contest in walk-off fashion.
 
Minahan finished game two 2-for-3 with a career-high-tying four RBI and two runs scored. Messer and Todd each went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
 
Owl starter Logan Viers took the loss after giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts against no walks in 5 2/3 innings. Reliever Morgan Sikes allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits in one inning pitched.
 
The Jags moved to 3-0 all-time versus Kennesaw State and improved to 15-6 at home this season.
 
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).