MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama won its second conference series of the season and secured the fifth seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next week with its doubleheader sweep over Troy Saturday at Jaguar Field. The Jaguars defeated Troy 1-0 in the opener and picked up a 3-2 win in 11 innings in the finale.
The Jaguars improved to 21-22 overall and 8-10 in league play, while the Trojans dropped to 24-28 on the season and 10-13 in the conference.
"Today was a great day for our team," USA head coach Becky Clark said. "We got a chance to honor our seniors who helped us establish our program. The team played great defense today and I can't think of a better way to enter the conference tournament."
Prior to the start of the doubleheader, USA honored its five seniors - Danielle Honore (Lake Charles, La.), Katie McGuire (Alabaster, Ala.), Julie Morton (Morris, Okla.), Beth Pilgrim (Cantonment, Fla.) and Kelsey Volz (Mesa, Ariz.)
In the opener, Troy out-hit the Jags seven to five, but could not manage to score a run, leaving nine runners stranded.
Senior pitcher Beth Pilgrim (16-11) recorded her fourth shutout of the season and the 18th complete game. She also fanned nine Trojan batters in the win.
Brittany Fowler, Britany Campbell, Christin Crocker, Marissa Boyd and Honore each recorded a hit in the first game for USA, while Troy was paced by Kala Moore's 3-for-4 performance.
Ashlyn Williams (18-20) took the loss for Troy allowing five hits and one run, while striking out 11 batters.
Fowler broke the scoreless tie and gave USA a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third with an infield single that scored Jag pinch runner Stephanie Dunaway from third. Dunaway entered the game for Honore who had led the inning off with a double to right center.
Holding the one-run lead, Pilgrim held the Trojans in check the rest of the way, not allowing a base runner to advance past second the rest of the game.
In the second game of the doubleheader, freshman Meghan Collins hit the game-winning single to lift the Jags a 3-2 extra-inning victory.
Volz, playing her final regular season home game, went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run to lead the Jaguars. Crocker also had a pair of RBIs in the nightcap.
South Alabama got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third. Volz singled through the left side of the infield to start the inning. After Volz was moved up a base on a ground out, Campbell walked to put runners at first and second. Crocker then lined a double to left to bring them both home and give USA the 2-0 advantage.
After not taking advantage of scoring opportunities through the first four innings, the Trojans put two runs on the board in the fifth to tie the contest back up. With the bases loaded, Hayden Gann delivered a two-run single to left field scoring Kala Moore and Kortney Cooper.
The rest of the game became a pitcher's duel between both game one starters. Pilgrim came in for the Jags and pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out nine batters, while allowing just three hits. Williams was also solid for the Trojans in relief also striking out nine batters and holding the Jags to just three hits in six innings of work.
In the top of the eleventh, the Trojans had runners on first and third with one out, but Moore flew out to center and Ashley Adkins was tagged out at first for leaving the bag early ending the scoring threat for Troy.
South Alabama began the bottom half of the inning with Crocker at second base and after Haley Hopkins reached on a two-base error to put runners at second and third, Marissa Boyd was intentionally walked to load the bases. Freshman first basemen Meghan Collins then singled to right to plate Crocker and give the Jags the 3-2 victory.
