No. 24 South Alabama softball swept a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Georgia State over the weekend, while the Jaguars’ baseball team won two of three games at Louisiana-Monroe.
The softball sweep lifted South Alabama to 24-7 overall and 8-3 in league play. The baseball team moved to 18-10 overall and 7-5 in the Sun Belt.
Softball: Jaguars Rally to Win Opener 8-7
Saturday’s doubleheader opened with South Alabama falling behind 5-1 through two innings. The Jaguars rallied to take a 6-5 lead by the top of the fourth and added a run in the sixth before Georgia State tied the game 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth.
South Alabama scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh and held the Panthers scoreless in the bottom half for an 8-7 win.
Kaleigh Todd went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the offense. Amanda Minahan was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run, Stephanie Pilkington went 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, and Emily Messer was 1-for-5 with a run.
Softball: Jaguars Outlast Panthers 13-11
The second game was another high-scoring contest. South Alabama scored twice in the top of the first, but Georgia State answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning and led 7-3 after two.
Chloe Rathburn and Kaitlyn Griffith hit solo home runs to left field in the third to cut the deficit to two. South Alabama then took the lead with five runs in the fourth. Amanda Herron led off with a double to right-center and was replaced by pinch runner Alyssa Linn, who scored on Minahan’s double to left-center. Pilkington followed with a home run to right field for an 8-7 lead. After Rathburn walked, Blair Johnson hit a two-out, two-run homer to center to make it 10-7.
Georgia State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. A solo homer started the inning, a single and a triple brought home another run, and a throwing error allowed the tying run to score at 10-10.
South Alabama answered in the fifth. Rathburn doubled home Minahan, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, and Pilkington, who had doubled. Johnson then doubled up the middle to score Rathburn for a 13-10 lead.
The Panthers managed only a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, and Kalen McGill retired three straight batters to end the game at 13-11.
Minahan went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Pilkington was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs, Rathburn went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs, and Johnson finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run.
McGill was credited with the win in both games Saturday.
Johnson Climbs Career Lists
Johnson’s double in the second game was the 37th of her career, moving her into second place on South Alabama’s all-time list. She also moved into third place in career RBIs with 109.
Softball: McGill Completes the Sweep
Georgia State scored in the first inning of Sunday’s finale before South Alabama took control beginning in the second inning.
McGill, a freshman right-hander, threw her first career complete game, allowing three earned runs on nine hits with one walk and one strikeout over seven innings. She was credited with all three wins of the series and improved to 10-1.
Minahan again led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run, including a solo homer in the fourth. Haleigh Lowe and Herron each went 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs scored and an RBI. Kristian Foster was 2-for-4 with two RBI singles, Griffith scored a run and Messer drove in a run.
South Alabama travels to Arlington, Texas, next for a three-game series against UT Arlington. The series opens with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and concludes at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Baseball: Hill Leads 12-4 Opening Win
South Alabama opened its series at Louisiana-Monroe with a 12-4 victory behind starter Kevin Hill, who threw six scoreless innings. Hill scattered 10 hits, struck out six and walked one to earn his third win of the season and extend his scoreless streak to 15 innings.
Every South Alabama starter recorded at least one hit. Garrett DeGallier went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Cole Billingsley was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a run, and Matt Bolger added two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Baseball: Martinez Homer Clinches Series
The Jaguars clinched the series Saturday with a 9-4 win, collecting 14 hits and scoring three runs in two separate innings.
Louisiana-Monroe took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. South Alabama got a run back in the second and went ahead in the fourth when Martinez hit a two-out, three-run home run. Martinez finished 3-for-5 with a homer, four RBIs and two runs scored, all career highs in hits and RBIs. Eight Jaguars recorded at least one hit.
Mike Dolloff earned his third win of the season with 5 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks.
Baseball: Warhawks Avoid Sweep
Louisiana-Monroe took Sunday’s finale 4-3. South Alabama loaded the bases in the seventh inning, but an inning-ending double play ended the threat. The Jaguars pulled within a run in the eighth but could not score the tying run.
Billingsley went 3-for-5 to lead South Alabama at the plate.
