MOBILE, Ala. – Two-seed University of South Alabama softball was shut out, 5-0, by three-seed Texas State on Thursday in the second round of the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Jaguar Field.
 
USA (32-17) will fight to stay alive in an elimination clash against eight-seed Louisiana-Monroe scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start. South Alabama bypassed first-round play by virtue of earning the two-seed, while ULM (24-33) defeated No. 5 Georgia Southern, 2-1, and lost to No. 4 Georgia State, 10-2, on Wednesday.
 
South Alabama swept ULM in a three-game, league series on March 19-20, outscoring the Warhawks, 23-4, and recording two run-rule victories.
 
Links to live stats, video, play-by-play audio 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.
 
Texas State (38-18) defeated the Jaguars for the fourth time in as many meetings this season. Right-hander Randi Rupp earned the complete-game victory after striking out eight Jags against two walks, while scattering eight hits.
 
Left fielder Kimberlin Naivar led the Bobcats at the plate on 3-for-4 hitting with two runs scored. Right fielder Taylor Webb went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run. Corrina Liscano went 1-for-2 with a run and two walks.
 
Jaguar senior third baseman Emily Messer went 3-for-4 to lead USA. Kaleigh Todd, Stephanie Pilkington, Haleigh Lane, Kristian Foster and Alex Breeden each recorded hits, as the Jags outhit Texas State, 8-7, but left 11 runners on base, the most in more than 10 games.
 
"We created opportunities for ourselves in this game; we just didn't get it done," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "We're going to have to compete better against Louisiana-Monroe tonight."
 
Texas State took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning, beginning with Ariel Ortiz's sacrifice fly, which plated Kelli Baker, who got on with a one-out double. Webb then supplied a two-out double to left center, scoring Naivar and Baker. Kendall Wiley put the Bobcats ahead four runs by scoring Webb with a base hit down the right field line.
 
USA answered by loading the bags in the bottom of the third after Messer and Todd got on with back-to-back singles and Pilkington reached on a fielding error, but Rupp struck out a pair of Jags to escape the jam.
 
The Bobcats tacked on a fifth and final run in the top of the seventh when Ortiz lifted another sacrifice fly to score Naivar, who reached on a one-out triple to right center.
 
USA stranded two runners on in each of the final three innings of the game.
 
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).