MOBILE, Ala. — The No. 15 South Alabama softball team lost two of three games at Sun Belt Conference leader Louisiana-Lafayette over the weekend, and the South Alabama baseball team won its series opener against Arkansas State before the Red Wolves took the final two games at Eddie Stanky Field.
Jaguars Split Saturday Doubleheader
No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette won the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader 6-2, and South Alabama answered with an 8-4 win in the nightcap to even the series.
Stephanie Pilkington went 4-for-8 with three RBI and a run scored on Saturday. Blair Johnson, Taylor Rodgers and Alex Breeden each had three hits and combined for three RBI and two runs.
Farish Beard took the loss in the opener, allowing six earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout and one walk. Hannah Campbell won the second game, striking out six and walking two while allowing four runs, two earned, on four hits.
Ragin’ Cajuns Take Series
Louisiana-Lafayette won Sunday’s finale 5-1. South Alabama scored first in the top of the second inning when Breeden hit a one-out solo home run, her team-leading seventh of the season, but the Ragin’ Cajuns scored five unanswered runs over the next two innings.
It was the Jaguars’ second straight Sun Belt series loss. Campbell (13-4) took the loss, allowing five runs, one earned, on seven hits with one strikeout and one walk. Holly McKinnon pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit with a strikeout and two walks.
South Alabama is 32-8 overall and 9-4 in the Sun Belt. The Jaguars are off until a weekend series against Georgia State at Jaguar Field, which opens with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Friday and concludes at noon Saturday because of Easter Sunday.
St. John, Taylor Combine on Shutout
Locke St. John and Ben Taylor combined on a four-hit shutout as South Alabama beat Arkansas State 5-0 in Friday’s series opener. The Jaguars scored three runs in the first inning and added a run in the second for a 4-0 lead.
Red Wolves Win Two Close Games
Arkansas State won Saturday’s game in the 14th inning. Eric Wilcoxson and Zach Maggio opened the top of the 14th with consecutive singles, Austin Backer was intentionally walked to load the bases and Matt Burgess lifted a sacrifice fly to left field for the deciding run.
On Sunday, with the game tied 2-2, Maggio hit a one-out double in the top of the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run, and Arkansas State won 3-2. South Alabama put the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth and moved them into scoring position with a groundout, but Justin Cullifer struck out to end the game.
South Alabama fell to 16-19 overall and 6-8 in the Sun Belt. The Jaguars host Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday evening at Eddie Stanky Field before a three-game weekend series at Western Kentucky.
