MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama senior left fielder Blair Johnson supplied a two-run, walk-off triple as the Jaguars came from behind to win 3-2 in game two of Saturday's Sun Belt Conference doubleheader versus Appalachian State, which USA swept to claim its first league series victory of the year.
 
USA (20-6, 4-3 SBC) defeated the Mountaineers (9-15, 0-8 SBC), 6-1, in game one behind a pair of three-run innings.
 
Sunday's series finale is slated for a noon start. Links to live stats, live video streaming and ticket information can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
 
"We got good pitching today, and we got a good couple of innings in the first game that was the difference-maker," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "In game two, it took us a little while, but we competed the entire game. [Alyssa] Linn came off the bench and gave us a spark, and Blair got something she could turn on. [Senior] Farish [Beard] and [freshman] Devin [Brown] pitched well for us."
 
Johnson's walk-off represented one of her two hits on the day, but the Kimberly, Ala., native accounted for three RBI on Saturday. Sophomore catcher Chloe Rathburn led USA offensively, going 4-for-7 with two RBI and a run scored.
 
Junior centerfielder Stephanie Pilkington was 3-for-7 with three RBI and a pair of runs. Senior first baseman Amanda Herron recorded a pair of doubles on the day, while junior third baseman Emily Messer and freshman Haleigh Lowe scored two runs apiece.
 
Beard picked up her third win in as many appearances since her return last weekend in game one, striking out 10 to one walk and giving up only one run (unearned) on five hits. Brown moved to 9-4 with her game-two victory after striking out nine and allowing two runs (both earned) on seven Mountaineer hits.
 
Game One – South Alabama 6, Appalachian State 1
South Alabama scratched three runs across in the bottom of the first to go ahead early on Appalachian State in the initial contest between the programs. Messer reached on a Mountaineer fielding error and was joined on the bases by Pilkington, who singled and then stole second, a batter later.
 
Rathburn scored the pair on a double to left center to put the Jags ahead, 2-0. Johnson then delivered a two-out single to right center for a third run.
 
USA went down in order over the next three frames before another three-run inning doubled the hosts output. The Jaguars loaded the bases to set Pilkington up for a three-run double. Lowe drew a one-out walk and was joined by Messer and sophomore right fielder Amanda Minahan after each singled.
 
Prior to the second three-run burst, Appalachian State scored on a Jaguar fielding error when second baseman Cynthia Gomez came around from third. Gomez walked initially and then moved to second on Dani Heichen's bunt single. Catcher Sarah Warnock singled to put Gomez on third.
 
Beard retired the Mountaineers in order in the sixth and seventh innings to secure her third win of the year. Over her last 20 innings, Beard has struck out 28 to three walks and allowed one earned run on eight hits.
 
Pilkington finished the contest 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Rathburn was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. Messer scored twice.
 
Vanessa Ciocatto (3-5) suffered the loss for Appalachian State after giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits in as many innings. Reliever Katherine Johnson also gave up three runs (all earned) on five hits in 1 2/3. Alissa Schoelkopf threw 1 1/3 and gave up one hit.
 
USA outhit the Mountaineers, 9-5, in the contest, while each team committed an error apiece.
 
Game Two – South Alabama 3, Appalachian State 2
Appalachian State took a two-run lead in the top of the first inning of game two when Warnock homered to right field, scoring Gomez, who drew a leadoff walk, in the process.
 
The Jaguars cut that lead in half in the bottom of the second on freshman Kaleigh Todd's RBI single, which plated Lowe, who was also dealt a leadoff walk. The RBI was Todd's first since Feb. 8 against Houston.
 
USA managed only a hit and walk until the bottom of the sixth frame when Griffith singled and moved to second on Lowe's sacrifice bunt. After stealing third, Griffith was stranded following a pair of Jaguar pop ups.
 
South Alabama's comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh was initiated by Linn, who came off the bench to deliver a hard-hit single through the right side. Pilkington then got on with a bunt single when Mountaineer infielder Caroline Rogers collided with teammate Heather Josey after fielding the ball.
 
A Rathburn fly out preceded Johnson's at-bat, which resulted in a pair of Jaguar runs when Johnson sent a triple down the right field line, allowing Pilkington and Linn to score from first and second, respectively, which marked USA's third walk-off victory this season.
 
The triple was the eighth of Johnson's career, which stands as the second-most in program history. Johnson also moved to fourth all-time (195) in games played at South Alabama. Griffith (184) is currently seventh.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).