The No. 22 South Alabama softball team scored 11 unanswered runs over four innings to defeat Chattanooga 11-1 in five innings in the NCAA regional tournament, sending the Jaguars into a winners’ bracket game against No. 4 Auburn.
The victory moved South Alabama into Game 3 of the regional, scheduled for noon Saturday. The winner of that game advances to the regional final, while the loser drops into an elimination game.
Early Deficit Erased
Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Sarah Beth Roberts hit a two-out solo home run. That run was the only one the Mocs scored all game.
South Alabama answered with 11 straight runs across the next four innings, and the game ended after five innings.
Messer Leads the Offense
Emily Messer led the Jaguars at the plate with a career-high four hits. She finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI.
Sophomore designated player Chloe Rathburn went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. She tied single-season records with 52 RBI and 15 doubles.
Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith and sophomore center fielder Amanda Minahan each drove in two runs.
Brown Shuts Down the Mocs in Relief
Farish Beard started in the circle for South Alabama and opened the game with a pair of strikeouts. After she was called for a series of illegal pitches, she was relieved by freshman right-hander Devin Brown.
Brown threw 4 1/3 innings of one-hit shutout relief, striking out eight and walking none. The outing extended her scoreless streak to 11 1/3 consecutive innings, a run that dates to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game against No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette.
Regional Bracket Ahead
South Alabama will face No. 4 Auburn at noon Saturday. Auburn reached the winners’ bracket by defeating Tennessee Tech 4-1 on Thursday evening.
Game 4, an elimination game between Chattanooga and Tennessee Tech, is scheduled to follow at 2:30 p.m.
The winner of the South Alabama-Auburn game will advance to the regional final. The loser will play the winner of Game 4 in an elimination game, with the survivor advancing to face the South Alabama-Auburn winner in the final on Sunday.
The meeting with Auburn will be the first time the Jaguars have faced former South Alabama player Haley Fagan, who transferred to Auburn after the 2013 season.
