Game 1 - Box Score - Texas State 5, South Alabama 0.pdf
Game 2 - Box Score - Texas State 1, South Alabama 0.pdf
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MOBILE, Ala. – Texas State picked up a pair of shutout wins Saturday afternoon as the University of South Alabama softball team dropped both games (0-5 and 0-1) of its Sun Belt Conference doubleheader at Jaguar Field.

South Alabama (24-14, 6-9 SBC) will close out the three-game league series versus Texas State (28-8, 10-3 SBC) on Sunday with first pitch versus the Bobcats scheduled for 1 p.m.

GAME ONE: TEXAS STATE 5, SOUTH ALABAMA 0
In game one of Saturday's doubleheader, South Alabama had its five-game win streak snapped by Texas State as the Bobcats picked up a 5-0 win in the opener.

Kaleigh Todd was 2-for-4 at the plate – extending her reached base safely streak to 16 games – for the Jaguars, while Amanda Minahan also had a pair of hits in her three at-bats.

Destin Vicknair (10-6) went the distance for USA and in her seven innings in the circle, she allowed five runs – all earned – on seven hits, while striking out four and walking three.

Texas State's Ariel Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI in the win, while Taylor Webb was also 2-for-2 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk.  Both Ortiz and Webb recorded home runs for the Bobcats in the win.

Randi Rupp improved to 17-5 with her sixth complete-game shutout of the spring and in her seven innings of work, she scattered six Jaguar hits, struck out 12 and walked just one. Every time South looked as if it might breakthrough on the scoreboard, the junior right-hander squelched the threat and recorded the big outs for the Bobcats.

South Alabama threatened to get on the board in the home half of the first as Todd and MC Nichols began the inning with back-to-back singles and moved in to scoring position on Foster's sac bunt, but R. Rupp ended the threat as she was able to get Minahan and Vicknair swinging to end the frame.  

Texas State capitalized on the missed opportunity the next half inning as Webb took Vicknair's 1-1 pitch deep over the wall in left center to put the Bobcats up 1-0.  The home run for Webb was her seventh of the spring.

The Jaguars had another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth with runners on second and third and two outs, but R. Rupp was able to get Mayo to ground out to third to end the inning.  Minahan dropped in a one-out double in right and beat the throw to second for South's first hit of the inning and Vicknair walked on four-straight, but both were left stranded.

With runners on second and third and two away, Vicknair looked as if she were going to get out of the fifth unscathed as Ortiz lifted a high fly ball to Minahan in center, but the Jag centerfielder lost the ball in the sun and had it hit of her back and roll away.  Both Jaclyn Molenaar – pinch running for Sara Rupp who had walked to lead the inning off – and Christiana McDowell, who also walked, came into score and Ortiz raced around the bases for the inside the park home run – her 12th home run of the season.

Texas State added to its lead (5-0) in the top of the seventh with a run on Ortiz's RBI double to centerfield, scoring Carter who led the inning off with a single to center.

GAME TWO: TEXAS STATE 1, SOUTH ALABAMA 0
Texas State took game two of the doubleheader and picked up its fifth-straight shutout in the series as the Bobcats scored late for the 1-0 win.

Megan Harris was the lone Jag to record multiple hits in the loss as she was 2-for-3, while four other Jags also recorded a hit.

Vicknair (10-7) pitched well as went the distance for the second-straight game, surrendering just the one run on six hits, while striking out four and walking four.  

R. Rupp entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth and earned her second win of the day, improving to 18-5.  In her 2.2 innings, Rupp allowed just one hit and two total base runners, while striking out four more Jaguars.  Game two starter Quincy Charleston scattered five hits and walked three in her 4.1 innings in the circle.

McDowell was one of six Bobcats to record a hit and drove in the lone run, while Haleigh Davis also had a hit and scored the game-winner.

The Jaguars tried to get something going in the home half of the third as Todd singled back up the middle and Nichols legged out a bunt single to put two on with one out.  Charleston though was able to get two-straight fielder's choices to work out of the jam.

Todd's third-inning single extended her reached base safely streak to 17 consecutive games, which tied a career high and is now tied for the 15th longest streak in program history.

South tried working some two-out magic in its half of the fourth as the Jags put together three-straight singles from Vicknair, Gruich and Harris, but Charleston again was able to get out of it as she got Todd to ground out to short to end the frame.

The Bobcats threatened break the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth as they placed runners at the corners with one out after a leadoff walk to Davis and a single through the right side of the Jaguar infield by Bailee Carter.  The South Alabama defense though came up big as South Alabama third baseman Savanna Mayo threw Davis out at the plate on a chopper off the bat of Molenaar.  Vicknair then helped herself out as she induced a foul out to first by McDowell to end the inning.

In the pivotal seventh, Davis lined a single to left to begin the inning and moved up to second on a single by Kennedy Cline.  Molenaar then walked with one out to load the bases bringing McDowell to the plate.  The Bobcat centerfielder then singled off the glove a diving Kristian Foster at short, plating Davis.

South Alabama tried to answer back as it put both the tying and game-winning runners aboard with two outs.  Harris reached with a lead-off single to left and then moved into scoring position on Todd's sacrifice bunt.  The Jag right fielder then moved close on Nichol's groundout to short, bringing the winning run to the plate in Foster.  Foster walked on four-straight pitches to put runners at the corners, but R. Rupp was able to get the out she needed as she got Minahan swinging to end the contest – her 16th strikeout of the doubleheader.

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

—USA—