South Alabama Sports – Weekend Rewind
Baseball
South Alabama lost the weekend series against Georgia State two games to one to drop their overall record to 21-26 and their conference record to 10-13.
USA’s Locke St. John threw his first career complete game to lead the Jaguars over the Panthers of Georgia State by a score of 8-1 in the first game of a three game series Friday evening.
St. John (6-1) allowed only one run on four hits while striking out six and only walking one for his sixth win of the season. St. John also retired the final 11 batters in the game and did not allow a hit over the final 17 batters of the game.
His complete game was the first by a Jaguars since Jarron Cito against Florida International over two years ago on April 29, 2012.
In game two the Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning en route to defeating the Jaguars 7-4.
On Sunday the Jaguars lost the rubber match in a 15-10 game.
Georgia State had 16 hits in the game and was led by Chase Rattfield who went 3-for-6 with a home run, six RBI and three runs scored.
Eight Jaguars recorded at least one hit with six of them collecting multiple hits. Andrew Tindell led the Jags with career highs in hits and RBI going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Cole Gleason went 2-for-6 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Davis Knapp went 2-for-5 with two RBI.
USA’s Brandon Hallford (3-2) took the loss by allowing six runs on six hits with two strikeouts and and three walks in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
GSU improved to 23-25 overall and 9-15 in conference play.
USA will travel to Louisiana-Lafayette to open a three game series against the #3 ranked Ragin’ Cajuns.
The Jags continue to hold onto sixth place in the SBC standings and are two-and-a-half games back for a tie against Western Kentucky and UT Arlington for fourth place with six conference games left in the regular season before the Sun Belt Conference Tournament takes place at Eddie Stanky Field.
NOTE: Errors were corrected from the original post. In the original version it was reported that USA won the game on Sunday and won the series when they actually lost the game and the series on Sunday. I want to thank twitter user @TinkWMobile for pointing that out to us for us to correct. We strive to accurately report all news and when we are wrong we try to let our readers know about it.
Softball
The 21st ranked Jaguars concluded the regular season on Saturday with a double-header against Troy at Jaguar Field. The Jags split the double header but won the series since they won their earlier match up against the Trojans. They enter the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with the second overall seed.
In the first game on Saturday USA could only manage two hits while the Trojans were able to muster five hits. The Trojans were able to slip a run across the plate in the top of the fifth inning on a fielding error when first baseman Amanda Herron dropped a two-out groundout attempt. That allowed Bria Epps, pinch running for starting pitcher Ashley Rainey, to score from third.
Julie Moss, who has not seen action since breaking her arm against UAB on February 19, pinch hit for Taylor Rodgers in the bottom of the sixth and ended Rainey’s no-hitter with a single to shallow center field. Rainey then retired three consecutive Jaguars to strand Moss on base.
USA loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh after Chloe Rathburn singled, Alex Breeden walked and Amanda Minahan reached on a fielding error. However Herron popped out and Rodgers hit into a fielders choice that forced Breeden out at third.
Hannah Campbell took the loss to fall to 16-5 on the season. She allowed five hits and one unearned run with nine strikeouts and no walks.
In game two the Jags jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first three innings after Breeden hit a two-out RBI single to score Blair Johnson, who reached on a fielders choice. Johnson doubled in the bottom of the third inning to score Pilkington after she drew a leadoff walk.
The Trojans answered with two solo home runs from Erica Davis and Meg Willis in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game a 2-all.
The Jags led off the bottom of the third inning with three consecutive singles by Lin, Rodgers and Messer with Messer’s scoring Linn from second base.
Troy would very nearly tie the game in the top of the fifth after Kacie McAllister reached on a two-out single, would be brought home by Amanda Winters’ double to right field, however a perfectly placed set of throws from Minahan from right field to the relay from Rodgers to Breeden at home plate would tag McAllister out at home plate.
Farish Beard would then retire six of the final seven Trojans to step up to the plate as she allowed two earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The Jags did commit an error in the game, but it did not result in a run.
The Jags finish the season with an overall record of 38-11 and 15-6 in Sun Belt Play. The Jags will next travel to Lafayette for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament beginning on Wednesday. We will have the tournament bracket up this evening.