MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama softball’s 2014 season ended in the final of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional, where the 21st-ranked Jaguars fell 3-0 to host Alabama.
South Alabama reached the regional final by beating SIU-Edwardsville and USC Upstate, its third trip to a regional final in as many seasons.
Traina Limits Jaguars
Alabama’s Jaclyn Traina struck out 11 and held South Alabama to two hits, improving her record to 22-3. Chloe Rathburn and Emily Messer had the Jaguars’ only hits.
Farish Beard took the loss for South Alabama, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits over four innings with one strikeout and one walk. Hannah Campbell pitched four innings of relief and allowed one hit.
Clark: ‘They Left Everything on the Field’
“I am extremely proud of my kids,” South Alabama head coach Becky Clark said. “I can honestly say that they left everything on the field, there was no holding back. Our kids went after it 100 percent, even in front of a stadium full of people. They had the audacity to believe that they could come out and win two games. That is what you are supposed to do, you are supposed to step out on the field knowing that you can get it done. If you don’t believe that you shouldn’t be on the field. Our kids did that and I am proud of them for making that decision.”
Record-Setting Pitching
The Jaguars finished the season with several new single-season team records:
- Lowest ERA: 1.29
- Fewest walks allowed per game: 1.4
- Most strikeouts: 416
- Fewest earned runs allowed: 70
- Fewest walks allowed: 76
The 2014 team gave South Alabama its third consecutive 40-win season in the program’s eighth year of competition.
Seniors Campbell and Moss
Senior Hannah Campbell completed her career as South Alabama’s all-time leader in fewest walks allowed per seven innings (1.24), wins (83), saves (16), appearances (149), complete games (93), games finished (40), innings pitched (791.1) and strikeouts looking (180).
Senior Julie Moss, who missed most of the season with an injury, finished her career among the program’s top 10 all-time in batting average (.301), slugging percentage (.452), hits (113), triples (5), home runs (11), RBIs (65), total bases (170), sacrifice flies (5) and sacrifice hits (19).
“I’m extremely proud of our seniors and what they’ve done for this program,” Clark said. “It kills me that I won’t get to coach those kids again. It’s been an amazing experience to coach those kids, not only because of what they’ve done on the field, but because they’ve 100-percent done it the right way. They’ve done it with class, and they’ve represented our program in a first-class manner.”
South Alabama competes in the Sun Belt Conference and plays its home games at Jaguar Field.
