MOBILE, Ala. — The No. 12 South Alabama softball team swept Louisiana-Monroe at Jaguar Field over the weekend for its second Sun Belt Conference sweep of the season, while the South Alabama baseball team was swept at home by UT Arlington.
No-Hit, but Not Beaten
South Alabama won Saturday’s opener 2-0 despite being held without a hit by Louisiana-Monroe starter Samantha Hamby. It was the first time the Jaguars had been no-hit in 119 games, since Florida Atlantic held them hitless on March 24, 2012, in a game South Alabama also won, 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kaitlyn Griffith was hit by a pitch, stole second and third, and scored on Chloe Rathburn’s sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, Emily Messer walked and stole second. Stephanie Pilkington grounded out, and Messer rounded third, drew a throw from the Warhawks’ third baseman and raced home to make it 2-0.
Hannah Campbell threw her fourth shutout of the season, improving to 10-2 and lowering her ERA to 0.65.
Griffith Doubles Twice in Game Two
South Alabama collected 11 hits and scored in four of its six turns at bat in a 7-1 win in the second game.
Pilkington led off the first with a single to center and scored on the first of two doubles by Griffith. In the third, Griffith’s second double scored Blair Johnson and Amanda Minahan for a 3-0 lead. Rathburn reached on a fielder’s choice that brought Griffith home, and Rathburn scored when Taylor Rodgers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 5-0.
Griffith drove in another run in the sixth, and the Jaguars added a leadoff solo home run to center field into a 20-mile-per-hour wind for a 7-0 lead.
Louisiana-Monroe broke up the shutout after Farish Beard gave way to Holly McKinnon, who struck out her first batter before allowing back-to-back singles that produced a run. McKinnon then got a groundout and a popup to end the game.
Beard improved to 16-1 and lowered her nation-leading ERA to 0.43.
Sunday Shutout Extends Win Streak to 13
South Alabama completed the sweep with a 7-0 win Sunday behind three pitchers and 11 hits, extending its winning streak to 13 games.
Pilkington walked to lead off the first and scored on Johnson’s RBI single through the right side. Rathburn added a one-out, two-run single to score Minahan and Johnson for a 3-0 lead.
Back-to-back singles in the second chased Hamby, and Jessica Colliver pitched out of the inning. In the third, Colliver walked Rathburn, and pinch runner Gwen Jones stole second and scored on Alex Breeden’s single to center.
In the fourth, Pilkington singled and Minahan doubled. Johnson drove in Pilkington with her second RBI single, Rathburn hit a sacrifice fly to right off reliever Haylie Wilson to score Minahan, and Johnson scored on Amanda Herron’s single up the middle for a 7-0 lead.
Campbell pitched five innings with six strikeouts and allowed five hits. Kaleigh Floore walked three batters to load the bases before Beard entered with one out remaining and struck out the final batter.
Pilkington went 5-for-8 with four runs scored and an RBI in the series.
South Alabama improved to 29-3 overall and 7-0 in the Sun Belt. The Jaguars visit No. 5/7 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
UT Arlington Sweeps Baseball Series
Friday’s baseball opener against UT Arlington was postponed to Saturday because of rain-soaked field conditions.
The Mavericks scored twice in the top of the first inning Saturday and built a 4-0 lead before Cole Gleason’s two-out RBI single in the third put South Alabama on the board. UT Arlington won 8-3.
In the second game, UT Arlington took a 1-0 lead in the first, South Alabama went ahead 2-1 in the fourth and the Mavericks tied it in the fifth. UT Arlington scored multiple runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to win 6-2 and clinch the series.
The Mavericks completed the sweep with a 6-1 win Sunday.
South Alabama fell to 13-13 overall and 3-5 in the Sun Belt. UT Arlington improved to 12-16 and 4-5.
