BOONE, N.C. – University of South Alabama softball defeated Appalachian State on the road twice, 2-0 and 7-2, in Friday's doubleheader to clinch its Sun Belt Conference series over the Mountaineers.
 
Game three is scheduled for a 10 a.m. CST first pitch.
 
Links to live stats and video can be found by accessing the jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
 
South Alabama (17-10, 5-2 SBC) has now reeled off five straight league victories and has won seven in a row overall, four of those on the road. The Jags improved to 5-0 all-time versus App State.

"Our pitchers did a good job of going after hitters today," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "I thought we played well defensively. There were a couple of tough plays we didn't make that I'd like to see us clean up tomorrow. The big thing for us is coming out tomorrow and finishing the weekend. We need to build on these two wins and come out aggressively tomorrow." 
 
Game One – South Alabama 2, Appalachian State 0
Devin Brown pitched a one-hitter to the Mountaineers in game one with 14 strikeouts, marking the 10^th appearances she's made with 10 or more strikeouts in 19 total appearances this season. The sophomore from Mobile, Ala., twirled her sixth shutout, working around four walks to improve to 9-6 on the year.
 
Brown had a no-hitter going until Heather Josey got on with a two-out double to left field. Brown then walked Cara Parker, before striking Pepper Butler out swinging to end the host threat.
 
USA jumped ahead in the next half-inning, Haleigh Lowe ripping a two-run double to right center to score Kaleigh Todd and Tucker Caraway to give the Jaguars their 2-0 lead. Todd reached on a Mountaineer fielding error to lead off the fifth frame, while Caraway pinch-ran for Stephanie Pilkington, who followed the error with a base hit back up the middle.
 
Brown retired App State in order through the next two innings, before walking Josey to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Josey took second on a wild pitch, and Ally Walters drew a two-out walk to put a pair on for the Mountaineers. Brown, however, forced Katie Mathewson into a game-ending pop out to Emily Messer at third to seal the victory.
 
Lowe was 1-for-3 with the two RBI, while Messer and Todd recorded two hits apiece.
 
App State starter Claire Eosso took the loss after allowing two runs (both unearned) on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks in four innings. Reliever Vanessa Ciocatto scattered three hits with a strikeout and a walk in three innings of work.
 
Game Two – South Alabama 7, Appalachian State 2
Destin Vicknair picked up the win in game two, improving to 8-3 on the year after scattering eight hits and allowing two runs (both earned) with six strikeouts and no walks.
 
Messer's two-out, two-run single to center field gave the Jaguars a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, with Haleigh Lane and Amanda Minahan scoring on the play. Minahan single down the left field line to lead off the frame, and Lane followed with a base hit of her own.
 
App State cut that lead in half, 2-1, when Jenny Dodd lifted a home run, only the second given up by Vicknair all year, to right center in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Minahan answered with a three-run blast a half inning later to give USA a 5-1 lead. With the 14^th homer of her career, the junior center fielder plated Todd, who singled to lead off, and Lowe, who walked.
 
The hosts scratched one across to cut USA's lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth on Natalie Orcutt's two-out RBI single, with Todd making a diving grab at second and coming up just shy on the throw. Butler scored after leading off with a base hit to center.
 
Dayla Gulledge, making only her second start as a freshman at the designated player position, gave the Jags a five-run cushion, 7-2, in the top of the seventh when she crushed a two-out, two-RBI single to right field to score Lane and Kristian Foster.
 
MInahan finished the contest 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Todd was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Messer drove in two runs on one hit. Lane went 1-for-2 and scored a pair of runs, while Gulledge drove in a pair on one hit.
 
Messer improved her hitting streak to 14 games, while Todd and Lowe have now reached safely in 14 and 13 consecutive contests, respectively.
 
App State starter Annaleise Kennedy suffered the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits with a strikeout and a walk in two innings. Ciocatto pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief and gave up three runs (all earned) on four hits with a pair of walks. Eosso finished the game, allowing two runs (both earned) on one hit in 2 1/3 innings of work.
 
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).