TROY, Ala. – Alex Stewart tossed a two-hitter and top-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette used a pair of three-run innings to defeat the fourth-seeded South Alabama softball team 6-0 Thursday morning at the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championships held at the Troy Softball Complex on the campus of Troy University.
South Alabama (34-19) will now face No. 7 Louisiana-Monroe in an elimination game at 3 p.m. Thursday. The loss snaps South's streak of 10-straight wins over Sun Belt Conference teams.
Kaleigh Todd and MC Nichols recorded USA's two hits against the Ragin' Cajuns. Destin Vicknair (14-11) took the loss as she allowed three runs on three hits in just one inning of work. Devin Brown entered the game in the second and pitched the final five innings of the contest allowing three runs on five hits.
Louisiana-Lafayette (43-6) had seven batters record a hit in the contest. Aleah Craighton drove in three, while Lexie Comeaux, Haley Hayden and DJ Sanders also had an RBI.
In addition to the two-hitter, Stewart (23-3) struck out a career-high 13 and allowed just four total base runners.
The Jaguars had a scoring opportunity in the top half of the first placing runners at first and second without the benefit of a hit, but Stewart recorded her fourth strikeout of the frame when she got Abby Krzywiecki swinging.
USA would have just two base runners the rest of the way as Stewart retired the side in four of her final six innings of work.
ULL took advantage of the missed chance by South scoring three runs on three hits to take a 3-0 lead. Lead-off hitter Kara Gremilion was hit by Vicknair's second pitch of the game. After back-to-back strikeouts, Craighton took a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left center – her 17th of the season – to put the Cajuns up 2-0. Comeaux then worked the count full and recorded her 10th home run, this one a solo shot to left.
Louisiana-Lafayette doubled its lead three innings later with another three-run spurt on four hits. The Cajuns began the bottom of the fourth with three-straight hits to load the bases and after a fly out to right, Sanders walked on four-straight to bring in Corin Voinche – who had doubled to left to start the inning – and make it 4-0. Hayden then lined a single back up the middle to plate Kassidy Zeringue and Craighton lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Kelli Martinez and give ULL the six-run advantage.
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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