SAN MARCOS, Texas — Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith drove in three runs Thursday evening as No. 23 South Alabama softball defeated Louisiana-Monroe 6-2 at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, sending the Jaguars into the league’s Championship Play-In Game.
The win improved South Alabama to 36-10 on the season.
Early Offense
Griffith put the Jaguars on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to right-center field, her 13th of the season.
South Alabama added three runs in the third. Freshman second baseman Kristian Foster opened the inning with a double to right-center and was replaced on the bases by pinch-runner Kaleigh Todd. Chloe Rathburn reached on a fielding error by the Warhawks, and senior left fielder Blair Johnson followed with a single to shallow left that scored Todd for a 2-0 lead. Rathburn came home on a wild pitch, and sophomore center fielder Amanda Minahan singled up the middle to bring in Johnson and make it 4-0.
In the fifth, Todd and junior catcher Stephanie Pilkington each drew a walk. With two outs, Griffith lined a two-run double down the left-field line to push the lead to 6-0.
Beard Earns the Win
Louisiana-Monroe answered in the top of the sixth when third baseman Vanessa Garcia hit a two-run home run, but the Warhawks got no closer. Freshman right-hander Kalen McGill came on in relief and closed out the game by inducing a game-ending double play.
Farish Beard was credited with the win. She struck out eight and allowed two earned runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Individual Numbers
- Kaitlyn Griffith: 2-for-3, home run, double, three RBI, one run scored
- Blair Johnson: 1-for-3, one RBI, one run scored
- Chloe Rathburn: one hit, one run scored
- Amanda Minahan: one hit, one RBI
- Kaleigh Todd: two runs scored
Rathburn and Pilkington have each reached base in 14 consecutive games, the longest active streaks on the team.
Friday’s Schedule
On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette scored in all six innings of a 10-2 run-rule victory over fifth-seeded Georgia State to also advance to the play-in game.
Friday’s action begins at 10 a.m. with an elimination game between No. 5 seed Georgia State and No. 6 seed Louisiana-Monroe. South Alabama and Louisiana-Lafayette, the tournament’s top two seeds, meet in the play-in game at 1 p.m.
The winner of the South Alabama-Louisiana-Lafayette game advances to Saturday’s championship game. The loser drops into an elimination game against the winner of the Georgia State-ULM contest, with the survivor earning the second spot in the championship game.
How the Bracket Took Shape
Louisiana-Monroe, the tournament’s No. 6 seed, reached Thursday’s game against the second-seeded Jaguars by winning twice on Wednesday, the opening day of the tournament. The Warhawks beat No. 7 seed UT-Arlington 6-1 and then defeated No. 3 seed and tournament host Texas State 3-0.
Fifth-seeded Georgia State advanced to its meeting with Louisiana-Lafayette with an 8-0 win over No. 8 seed Georgia Southern and a 9-3 victory over No. 4 seed Troy.
Wednesday’s games completed the single-elimination portion of the tournament.
