Box Score (Game One) - South Alabama 1, Middle Tennessee 0.pdf
Box Score (Game Two) - South Alabama 3, Stephen F. Austin 0.pdf
Photo Gallery - Day Two

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team recorded a pair of shutouts Saturday on day two of the South Alabama Invitational at Jaguar Field to run its win streak to eight games.

South Alabama (13-1) will head out on the road for the first of 10-straight road games with a midweek matchup at McNeese State.  First pitch versus the Cowgirls is set for 1 p.m. on Tuesday at Cowgirl Diamond.

With the win, the Jags also improved to 13-0 at home this season.  USA has only been undefeated through its first 13 home games one other time as the 2014 team won its first 14 games at Jaguar Field.

In their four games, the Jaguar pitching staff recorded four shutouts, and in their 28. Innings of work allowed just 15 hits and six walks, while striking out 38.  Opponents at the tourney batted just .150 in their 100 at-bats.  South Alabama entered the weekend ranked second nationally in team earned run average, trailing only No. 1-ranked Florida State, and that number now stands at 0.45.  At home, USA has allowed just three earned runs and holds an ERA of 0.24.

"We're just going out there making pitches, trying to help our defense make plays and take some pressure off our offense," senior pitcher Destin Vicknair said on the pitching staff's performance this weekend.  "We just go out there, have fun and play ball.  That's the main thing we're doing, we're trying to stay consistent."

For the weekend, MC Nichols led the club at the plate as she batted .636 and had seven hits in her 11 at-bats, while also posting a slugging percentage of .909 and a .667 on-base percentage.  Nichols scored the eventual game-winner in the first game of the day on Saturday and then delivered a two-out, two-run triple in the second to break a scoreless tie.

"I really wanted to go out there and do it for my team," Nichols said.  "We've been having great games going out there and beating some good teams.  We had hits that we pieced together tonight and earlier today.  We're just going out there competing and trying to win the game.

"In practice we put ourselves in situations we know we could be in a game.  We try to make ourselves as uncomfortable as we can in practice so that it's comfortable in the games.  We do a really good job preparing for that, putting in the work and making sure we're successful in the situation."

Kristian Foster batted .417 in her four games, and both Haleigh Lane and Haleigh Lowe each hit .364.

GAME ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 1, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 0
South Alabama's first game of the day would be a pitcher's duel as neither team allowed an earned run.  An unearned run by the Jags in the bottom of the sixth would prove to be the difference as USA won its seventh straight with a 1-0 victory over Middle Tennessee (7-5).

Devin Brown (6-1) recorded her seventh complete game of the season and struck out nine, while scattering five Blue Raider hits.  Brown also walked just one in the win.  The shutout was South Alabama's third straight and fourth in its last five outings.  The Jaguars now have eight shut outs this season with Brown recording six of them.  

Nichols and Lowe each recorded two hits apiece to lead USA at the plate.

Megan Chocallo (0-1) took the loss, but in six innings of work allowed seven hits and the unearned run.  

South Alabama threatened to get on the board first in the bottom of the second as Lowe reached on a ground-rule double to begin the frame, but she was left stranded at third.

MT looked as if it might break through in the scoring column in the next half inning as Summer Burgess tripled with two away and Precious Birdsong walked and stole second to move into scoring position, but Brown was able to get Kirstyn Cuccia swinging – her fourth strikeout of the contest – to end the threat.

The Raiders threatened again in the fourth as they place runners at second and third again.  MT looked as if it had taken a 1-0 lead when Austyn Whaley scored on a wild pitch on strike three of Dani Munoz at-bat, but after a meeting the umpires determined that Munoz had interfered with Jaguar catcher Aly Smith and by rule, Whaley was called out at home, keeping the game scoreless.

Two innings later, Middle Tennessee again placed a runner in scoring position as Morgan Harris doubled off the wall in left center with one out and moved to third on a ground out, but Brown struck out Munoz swinging – her seventh strike out of the game.

The Jaguars finally broke through with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth.  With one out in the inning, Nichols singled through the left side of the infield and moved into scoring position on Kristin Foster's sacrifice bunt.  The base hit was Nichols' second of the game – marking her third straight multi-hit outing and the seventh of the season for the Jaguar right fielder.  Lowe then singled back up the middle on the first pitch she saw from Chocallo and advanced to second on Middle Tennessee's throw to third.  On the play, Nichols was able to come home when Raider Samantha Vacko was unable to handle third baseman Kristin Uselton's low throw.  Nichols broke home on the play and beat the throw to the plate to score and give USA the 1-0 lead.

Brown retired MT in order in the top of the seventh, closing out the game with a pair of strike outs.

GAME TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 3, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 0
In the nightcap, Vicknair was able to work out of a jam in each of the first four innings, including three two-on, one-out situations in the second, third and fourth frame.  

"I just tried to calm myself down," Vicknair said about the jams.  "I settled down and realized what I needed to do and focused on what I needed to do to make the pitch work.  I placed the ball where it needed to be on the plate to put the ball into play to where our defense could make the play."

Vicknar improved to 7-0 on the season with her third complete-game shutout of the season.  The Reserve, La., native scattered seven SFA hit and three walks, while striking out a season-best seven strikeouts.  The Ladyjacks (4-11) ended the night with 11 runners left on base.

Kaleigh Todd was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a stolen base for the Jags, while Nichols and Lane each had a hit.  Nichols also drove in two.

Callee Guffey (2-3) picked up the loss as she surrendered three runs – one earned – on four hits, while striking out three.  

In the bottom half of the third, the Jaguars looked as if they were going to go in order for the third, but Ladyjack catcher Taylor Fraccastoro dropped a pop up on the infield allowing Megan Harris to advance all the way to second.  Kaleigh Todd then followed with an infield single and Nichols delivered the big blow as she dropped a ball just inside the left field line for a triple which scored both Harris and Todd to give South Alabama the 2-0 advantage.

The Jaguars added another run and extended its lead to 3-0 two innings later as Todd lined a single to left to score Katelyn Gruich, who had walked to begin the inning.  

In the top of the sixth, Vicknair got into one more jam as Stephen F. Austin had its first two batters reach base.  Fraccastoro – who was a perfect 3-for-3 on the night – singled to begin the inning and Madison Clements walked.  With two on and nobody out, Vicknair got back in a grove and recorded a pair of fielder's choices and got Emily Wolfe to strike out looking to end the frame.

Vicknair retired the side in order in the seventh to end the game.

South Alabama Invitational all-tournament team
Devin Brown, South Alabama
Destin Vicknair, South Alabama
MC Nichols, South Alabama
Kristian Foster, South Alabama
Haleigh Lane, South Alabama
Lacey Boyd, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
Amber Landry, Stephen F. Austin
Precious Birdsong, Middle Tennessee

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).

—USA—