MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama softball beat Southern Miss 9-1 in six innings on Wednesday evening, ending the game by run rule in the first meeting between the programs since 2012.
The Jaguars scored nine runs on 12 hits and took advantage of three Golden Eagles errors. South Alabama improved to 18-6 overall; the Jaguars are 2-3 in Sun Belt Conference play. It was the team’s fifth run-rule victory of the season.
Beard Climbs Program List
Farish Beard earned the win in just her second appearance since Feb. 7, and it was her second victory in those two outings. She struck out six, walked one and allowed one earned run on two hits.
Over her past 13 innings, Beard has struck out 18 batters and allowed two runs. The win was the 54th of her career, the second-highest total in South Alabama program history.
Balanced Offense
Eight of South Alabama’s nine starters recorded a hit. Emily Messer, Amanda Minahan and Chloe Rathburn each had two.
- Messer went 2-for-3 and scored three runs.
- Minahan went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Rathburn went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Early Innings
Southern Miss scored first when left fielder Selena Estrada hit a one-out solo home run to left field in the top of the first inning.
South Alabama tied it in the bottom half. Messer led off with an infield single and took second on a wild pitch, then scored when Stephanie Pilkington singled to right field and the catcher could not handle the throw to the plate.
Blair Johnson scored in the second inning on a single up the middle by freshman Haleigh Lowe. In the third, Minahan scored when Southern Miss committed a fielding error on a ball hit by senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith, giving the Jaguars a 3-1 lead.
Four-Run Fourth
South Alabama broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth. Johnson led off with a bunt single and moved to second when freshman Kaleigh Todd, pinch-hitting for Kristian Foster, laid down a sacrifice bunt. Amanda Herron doubled to right-center field to put two runners in scoring position, and Messer walked to load the bases.
Minahan singled home two runs, including Alyssa Linn, who was running for Herron, to make it 5-1. Pilkington added a sacrifice fly to left-center that scored Messer, and Rathburn singled to left-center to bring in Minahan for a 7-1 lead.
Ending It in the Sixth
Lowe reached on the third Southern Miss error of the game in the bottom of the sixth, and Messer reached for the third time with a bunt single. After Minahan and Pilkington were retired, Rathburn singled to right field to score Lowe. Griffith followed with a single that drove in Messer to end the game.
Up Next
South Alabama returns to Sun Belt play this weekend at home against Appalachian State. The series is scheduled to begin with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and conclude Sunday at 1 p.m., though times could change because of weather expected in the Mobile area.
Update: Split at Louisiana-Monroe
South Alabama came into the Southern Miss game after splitting a Sunday doubleheader at Louisiana-Monroe the previous weekend; the series opener was canceled because of weather.
In the first game, the Warhawks handed the Jaguars their first run-rule loss since Feb. 11, 2012. Louisiana-Monroe scored twice off starter Kalen McGill in the third inning and once in the fourth before Kaleigh Floore entered in relief; a fourth run scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Amanda Herron doubled off the center-field wall but was stranded.
Farish Beard threw a one-hitter in the second game, a 2-0 South Alabama win, in her first appearance since Feb. 7 because of an injury. She retired nine of the first 11 batters she faced. Kaitlyn Griffith hit a two-out solo home run in the fourth inning, her team-leading fourth homer of the season and her 18th career home run, tying her for fourth in program history. Chloe Rathburn threw out a runner trying to steal third to end a Warhawks threat in the bottom of the fourth, and Stephanie Pilkington led off the sixth with a home run.
