Game 1 Box Score - South Alabama 6, Coastal Carolina 0.pdf
Game 2 Box Score - Coastal Carolina 2, South Alabama 0.pdf
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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team picked up a 6-0 victory in game one on Saturday, but fell 2-0 in the second contest and split a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader with Coastal Carolina at Jaguar Field.

South Alabama (18-8, 1-4 SBC) will close out the series versus the Chanticleers (21-6, 1-3 SBC) on Sunday with the final game of the three-game league series slated to start at noon.  Live stats and the web stream can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  Reserved seat tickets can be purchased for $8, while general admission seating is available for $5.  

Jaguar senior trading cards will be available to the fans along with post-game autographs with the team following Sunday's finale.

GAME ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 6, COASTAL CAROLINA 0
In the opener, Devin Brown (8-4) recorded her ninth complete game and seventh shutout of the season, while Kaleigh Todd went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Amanda Minahan had a pair of hits, including her sixth home run of the season, to go along with three runs scored and three RBI leading the Jags to a 6-0 victory.

In her seven innings of work, Brown allowed just two hits and three base runners, while striking out nine.

Taylor Rahach (9-3) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits and four walks, in addition to five strike outs.  Devin Wallaces pitched an inning-and-two-thirds of relief, surrendering three runs of her own – two earned on three hits and a pair of walks.

After Brown sat down the Chants in order in the top half of the first, South Alabama took a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning.  Todd beat out a throw to first for an infield single and the junior second baseman then moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Megan Harris and a ground out by Kristian Foster.  After being down 0-2, Minahan worked the count full and then blasted a pitch from Rahach deep over the wall in left to give USA the two-run lead.  The home run was the 23rd of Minahan's career.

Both teams had excellent scoring opportunities in the fourth as CCU placed its first two batters on base, but Brown was able to get out of the jam as she got Amanda Daneker to strike out swinging, Timi Tooley to pop out to second and Kailey Mellen to ground out to short.

In the home half of the fourth, the Jaguars threatened as well placing runners at first and second with no outs and eventually loading the bases with one out, but Rahach would also get a pot to second and a strike out to get out of the jam.

In the next inning, South Alabama loaded the bases again with one away.  Minahan singled to right and Lowe then dropped in a single of her own in left.  Minahan moved to third on the play when Forbes' throw to second was high.   Savanna Mayo then walked on four straight to load the bases and Lane worked a five-pitch walk to plate Minahan and make it 3-0.

The Jags padded their lead in the sixth as they loaded the bases for the third-straight inning and added three more runs.  Todd recorded her third hit of the opener when she reached on an infield single.  Nichols then singled to short to put two runners on for South and Foster worked a full-count walk after being down 0-2 to load the bases.  Minahan was then hit by a pitch to bring home Todd for USA's fourth run.  With one out, Savanna Mayo had a RBI single to plate Foster and then two batters later, Minahan made it 6-0 when she came home on Haleigh Lane's fielder's choice.

Brown recorded the Chants in order for the fifth time in the contest to end the game, getting Kassidy Smith to strike out swinging for her ninth strikeout of the game.

GAME TWO: COASTAL CAROLINA 2, SOUTH ALABAMA 0
In the second game of the day, South Alabama had a pair of late-inning scoring opportunities, but was unable to capitalize and Ashley Guillette (6-2) recorded her third complete game of the season as Coastal Carolina picked up a 2-0 shutout win.

Guillette allowed just three hits and four walks, while striking out 10 Jaguars.  Taty Forbes and Daneker were each 2-for-4 at the plate for the Chantitcleers, while five other players also recorded a hit.  

Destin Vicknair (9-3) pitched well in the loss, allowing just two unearned runs on nine hits in her seven innings of work.

Nichols, Mayo and Lane recorded USA's three hits and the Jaguars left six runners on base in the loss.

"I thought we had our opportunities to score in the second game, but we didn't take advantage of them; we had a hard time getting the bunt down today and then when we took the bunt off, we had a hard time having a quality at-bat," South Alabama head coach Becky Clark said.  "We have to be able to string quality at-bats together.
 
"I thought Vicknair did enough to keep us in it.  We started the top of the second with an error and a walk and then they get a hit and we have another error; we didn't take care of the ball and when we had our opportunities to get back in it, we didn't take advantage of them."

The Chants got on the board first in game two of the doubleheader with a pair of unearned runs.  With one out in the inning, Adriana Toro reached on a Jaguar fielding error.  Chelsea D'Avilar then walked and Angela Buccilli singled to load the bases.  Two runs then came home to score one batter later as Toro scored on the single to center by Forbes and D'Avilar also scored on the play when Minahan was unable to cleanly field the ball, making it 2-0.

South Alabama had scoring opportunities in both the fifth and seventh innings, placing the first two batters on base each inning, before Guillette would be able to get out of the inning.

In the fifth, Mayo walked on five pitches to lead off and Lane then singled back up the middle.  Guillette settled down though and struck out the next three Jaguar batters, getting Todd looking to end the frame.

USA looked as if it had something brewing in its last at-bat as Lowe walked and Mayo singled to left to put runners at first and second for the Jaguars, but Guillette was able to get Lane to fly out to left and Bailey Murphy and Aly Smith to strike out and end the game.

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:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub

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