(Game One) Box Score - Georgia State 2, South Alabama 0.pdf
(Game Two) Box Score - Georgia State 11, South Alabama 3.pdf

ATLANTA – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped a pair of games Saturday afternoon in its Sun Belt Conference opening series at Bob Heck Field, falling 2-0 to Georgia State (15-9, 2-0 SBC) in game one and 11-3 in five innings in the second game of the doubleheader versus the Panthers.  

South Alabama (17-5, 0-2 SBC) will close out the league series against the Panthers on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. (CT).  The scheduled start time was moved up following Saturday's game as due to expected rainfall overnight in the Atlanta area.  The start time could be changed again so fans can check back with www.USAJaguars.com for more information and further updates.

Live stats and the audio broadcast for Sunday's finale will be available at www.USAJaguars.com and in-game updates can be accessed by following the official twitter page for South Alabama softball @USAJagsSoftball.

GAME ONE:  GEORGIA STATE 2, SOUTH ALABAMA 0
Georgia State pitcher Peyton Worsham (2-0) recorded a one-hit shutout in the opener and Kensy Caldwell drove in both Panther runs as South Alabama fell 2-0.

In her seven innings of work Worshamn struck out five and walked just one, while Jag starter Devin Brown (7-3) allowed just two runs on two hits and a pair of walks while also striking out five in the loss.

After retiring the Jags in order in the top half of the first inning, the Panthers took the early lead with a run in the bottom half.  With one out, Kirsten McMonigle walked on four straight pitches and then moved to third on Ivie Drake's double to left.  One batter later Brown issued her second four-pitch walk of the inning to Megan Litumbe to load the bases.   McMonigle then came around to score on Caldwell's RBI sacrifice fly foul out, giving GSU the 1-0 lead.

The Panther's add another run in the bottom of the fourth on Caldwell's one-out solo shot over the wall in left center.  Caldwell's home run was her third of the season and came on the first pitch she saw from Brown, extending GSU's lead to 2-0.   

USA nearly broke through on the scoreboard in the next half inning as Amanda Minahan blasted a shot that looked as if it was going to get out, but McMonigle snagged Minahan's ball and brought it back to keep the Jags off the scoreboard.  

In the top of the seventh, the Jaguars threatened to tie the game up as the placed a pair aboard.  MC Nichols reached on an error by Caldwell at second and after a pair of fielder's choices, Minahan broke up the no-hit bid by Worsham, with a double to center field that placed runners at second in third.  Worsham however was able to get Savanna May to foul out to right to end the game.

GAME TWO: GEORGIA STATE 11, SOUTH ALABAMA 3 (5 inn.)
Georgia State's Amanda Chance (5-3) went the distance allowing three runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out four Jaguar batters.  

Destin Vicknair (9-2) took the loss as the senior gave up 10 runs – nine earned – on seven hits and four walks with just one strike out in 3.2 innings of work.  Bailey Murphy entered in relief in the fourth and allowed a run on a hit in a third of an inning of work.

Minahan and Lowe each recorded two hits in the loss to lead South offensively.  Minahan drove in all three Jaguar runs with her fourth home run of the season.

Caldwell was 3-for-3 for the Panthers with a pair of doubles, two RBI and three runs scored.  Remington Hasty also recorded multiple hits with two in the contest, while driving in a game-high five runs.  Kylee Love and Morgan Brown each had a hit and scored twice for GSU.

Like the opener, Georgia struck first in the bottom half of the opening frame scoring five runs all with two out in the inning.  Brown singled to lead things off and then with two away Litumbe put runners at the corners for the Panthers when she was hit by a pitch from Vicknair.  Caldwell then recorded her third RBI of the doubleheader when she lined a double down the leftfield line.  Love walked to load the bases and Hasty then cleared them as she homered to left.  The grand slam was the second home run of the season for Hasty.

In the third, Drake reached on a three-base error to start the inning when Jag right fielder misplayed the liner and had the ball roll all the way to the wall.  Two batters later, Caldwell delivered again for the Panthers as she doubled off the wall in right center to plate Drake and extend GSU's lead to 6-0.   Love followed with her second walk of the contest and Hasty then singled back up the middle to score Caldwell from second, extending the Jag deficit to 7-0.

South's best scoring chance came in the top of the fourth as Minahan doubled of the wall in left center to start the inning and Lowe then reached on a one-out infield single, but with runners at the corners for the Jaguars, Chance was able to get Mayo to pop out to short and Abby Krzywiecki to fly out to right to work out of the jam.

The Panthers added four more runs in their next at bat and stretched their lead to double figures.  Vicknair issued a pair of leadoff walks and Drake singled back up the middle to load the bases.  Two runs came around to score one batter on Litumbe's fielder's choice to bring in Brown and McMonigle then scored on Kaleigh Todd's throwing error.  After a pitching change, Lowe homered off the scoreboard in right center to make it 11-0.

South Alabama tried to keep the game going, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth.  Murphy worked the count full and drew a one-out walk.  Megan Harris then singled back up the middle before Minahan took Chance's 0-1 pitch over the left centerfield wall.  The home run was the 21st of Minahan's career.

Chance was able to limit the damage there though as she got a ground out to short to end the game.

The run-rule defeat was the first for the Jaguars since March 24, 2015 when the Jags fell 8-0 at LSU in five innings and the first time it's happened in Sun Belt play since an 8-0 loss at Louisiana-Monroe on March 24, 2015.

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).
    
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/sports/2013/3/13/Bull%20Pen%20Club.aspx?id=27

—USA—