South Alabama Sports Weekend Update
Baseball
The South Alabama Jaguar baseball team swept their series against Arkansas State over the weekend by a combined score of 30-5. The Jags improve their record to 27-10 and 10-5 in SBC play. Arkansas State falls to 19-17 overall and 6-9 in SBC play.
Jarron Cito started for the Jags on Friday evening and earned the win behind a four-run fourth inning as the Jags won 6-2. City only allowed two runs on five hits through seven innings of work while striking out five with only one walk. Dylan Stamey struck out four while walking on in 1 2/3 innings of work to earn the second save of his career.
The Jags pounded ASU into submission on Saturday behind the pitching of Matt Bell. The Jags recorded 21 hits and scored in eight of the nine innings as they won 20-2.
Bell tied a career high in strikeouts with nine while only allowing two runs on five hits with one walk in another career high of eight innings of work.
South Alabama came within one hit of tying a season high for hits in a game. Nine different Jagaurs recorded hits with Jeff DeBlieux going 5-for-7 with two triples, three RBI and two runs scored. Nick Zaharion finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, two home runs, a career high five RBI and two runs scored.
Nolan Earley went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
In the final game of the weekend series, the Jags earned a 4-1 win behind Jacob Noble’s pitching. Noble allowed one unearned run on three hits in seven innings of work. He struck out five without giving up a walk to get his fourth win of the season and his first against a Sun Belt opponent.
Kyle Bartsch earned his eighth save of the season on one inning of work with two strikeouts. He tied former Jaguar Blaine Dollar for career saves at USA with the 18th of his career.
The Jags will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Tallahassee for a midweek game against Florida State.
The Jaguar baseball team is tied for first place in the conference with Western Kentucky with a 10-5 record each. FAU is second with a 9-5 record.
The Jags will host the Hilltoppers this weekend for a key three-game conference series.
Softball
The Jaguar softball team swept the Saturday doubleheader against North Texas. Blair Johnson hit her second game-winning home run of the season as she gave the Jags a walk-off 3-2 win over the Mean Green in the first game.
Hannah Campbell went the distance to earn her 17th win of the season. She allowed seven hits while striking out eight with only one walk in her seven innings of work. She allowed two runs, both unearned though.
THe Lady Jags earned their 11th mercy-rule win of the season when they defeated the Mean Green 12-1 in five innings in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader.
After the dramatics of the victory in the first game, the Jags burst out of the gate with nine hits and 11 runs in the first two innings of the game. Julie Moss hit her sixth home run of the season to give the Jags a 2-0 lead.
Farish Beard earned her 17th win of the season as well on 4 1/3 innings of work where she only allowed two hits and one run behind nine strikeouts and no walks. Jessica Dobson finished off the game with 2/3 of an inning of work where she allowed two hits, one run and a walk with one strikeout to wrap up the game.
The Sunday game was cancelled due to weather. The Jags record improved to 37-7 overall and 13-3 in Sun Belt play. North Texas fell to 18-19 overall and 6-9 in Sun Belt play on the season.
The Lady Jags continue to hold onto first place in the conference by one game in the win column. WKU is 12-3 on the season in Sun Belt play.
Busy Weekend In South Alabama Sports
The Jaguar baseball team will travel to Arkansas State for a weekend series while the Lady Jaguar Softball team will host North Texas. But that is not all going on this weekend in South Alabama sports.
The Men’s Tennis team will wrap up their regular season this weekend in Memphis, Tennessee as they face UAB and #46 Memphis. They enter this weekends matches with a 10-11 record overall after facing seven ranked opponents this season with wins over #30 BYU, #56 St. John’s and #60 Georgia State.
The women’s Tennis team will also wrap up their regular season this weekend at home against UAB. The matches will begin at 11am at the South Alabama Tennis courts.
Also the South Alabama men’s and women’s track and field teams will hold their final home meet of the season on Friday and Saturday. They will welcome Alabama State, Loyola, North Alabama, Spring Hill, Tulane, West Alabama and West Florida to Jaguar Track for the South Alabama Invitational.
It will begin at 4:30pm on Friday and will start at 10am on Saturday morning with men’s javelin throw.
#23 USA Softball Blanks #25 Florida State
The South Alabama Jaguar softball team blanked the #25 ranked Florida State Seminoles 4-0 at Jaguar field on Wednesday evening. Farish Beard and Hannah Campbell combined for their sixth win-save of the season with Beard improving to 16-0 on the season while Hannah recorded her league leading sixth save of the season.
Beard struck out six with only two walks and three in the first four innings of the game. Hannah struck out four with only one hit and one walk in three innings of relief.
The win improves the Jags to 35-7 overall on the season as the Seminoles fells to 31-14 on the season. It was the first time FSU had been shut out in 31 games.
Senior Brittany Fowler got her 200th hit as a Jaguar in the game, she is tops in program history in hits.
The Jags will be in action again when they host North Texas this weekend at Jaguar Field in a three-game series. It will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday that will start at 1pm with the final game scheduled on Sunday at 11am.
#23 USA Host #25 FSU Tonight In Softball
South Alabama will host their second ranked opponent of the season on Wednesday night when #25 ranked Florida State visits #23 ranked South Alabama.
The Jags completed a perfect 5-0 week behind some shutout wins of FAU by scored of 11-0 and 6-0. It was also their second sweep of a Sun Belt opponent this season.
The Seminoles have a 3-1 advantage on the Jags all-time after the Jags defeated them for the first time last season by a score of 3-1.
First pitch is set for 6:00 at Jaguar Field.
South Alabama Sports Weekend Update
Baseball
The South Alabama Jaguar baseball team had a chance to sweep Florida International, but the Golden Panthers took the final game to prevent the sweep.
In game one on Friday, Jarron Cito worked a season-high 7 2/3 innings in the 8-1 win. He scattered nine hits and only allowed one run while striking out five with three walks.
Jeff DeBlieux led the Jags by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. He was one of seven Jags to record hitsw in the game.
In game two the Jags clinched the series with a 6-5 win over FIU. Four Jaguars pitched in the game with Jacob Noble tossing 4.2 innings allowing eight hits and four runs, three of them earned, and three walks.
Brandon Boyle earned the win in two innings of relief allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Kyle Bartsch pitched a perfect nineth inning for his seventh save of the season. Dylan Stamey pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts.
Cole Billingsley led the Jags by going 2-fo-4 with a triple, a walk and three RBIs.
In the final game, FIU used a four run fourth inning to down the Jags 7-4 at Eddie Stanky Field. FIU took a 2-0 lead early in the top of the first inning on a two-out, two run double down the right field line.
In the top of the fourth the Panthers added their first run on a leadoff homer to left field. Then an RBI single would double their lead to 4-0, but they weren’t done yet. A two run homerun to left field would put FIU up 6-0.
Tripp Cecil sufferred the loss in 3 1/3 innings pitched where he allowed five runs on four hits with a strikeout and two walks. The Jags tried to rally but the Panthers held on for the win.
The Jags improve their record to 24-9 overall and 7-5 in Sun Belt play with the two wins this weekend. FIU fell to 18-14 and 6-6 in Sun Belt play with their two losses. The Jags are tied with Troy one game out of first place in the Sun Belt. FAU and WKU both have an 8-4 conference record.
The baseball team will be in action on Tuesday when they host Nicholls State at Eddie Stanky Field for a 6:30pm first pitch.
Softball
The South Alabama softball team earned their second conference sweep of the season over Middle Tennessee this past weekend. The #23 ranked Jags used a four run third inning in game one to break open a 1-1 tie. They would knock off the Blue Raiders 9-1 in game one.
In the second game, they eruped for 19 hits and 13 runs to win a run-rule victory over the Blue Raiders 13-3.
Haley Fagan led the Jags on Saturday in the doubleheader by going 6-for-7 with a home run, two runs scored and eight RBI. Julie Moss went 6-for-8 with five runs scored and her second triple of the year.
Meghan COllins hit two home runs, scored three times and drove in four RBI. Brittany Fowler had three hits and scored five runs including her eighth home run to lead the team.
Hannah Campbell and Farish Beard both recorded their 15th win each on Saturday. They combined for 15 strikeouts and no walks while holding Blue Raiders to a .220 batting average. Hannah struck out seven while scattering six hits for her 16th complete game. She only allowed one earned run. Beard struck out eight and allowed five hits and three earned runs.
On Sunday, the Lady Jags used a shutout performance to earn the sweep over MTSU. Alex Breeden went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored whiel Blair Johnson recorded three RBI on two hits to lead the Jags in the victory.
Julie Moss and Britany Campbell both added two hits each while Kaitlyn Griffith hit her seventh homerun of the year.
Hannah Campbell earned her 16th win of the season with two strikeouts, no walks and inducing two double plays in the game.
The Jags improve to 34-7 overall and 11-3 in Sun Belt play while MTSU fell to 4-33 overall and 1-13 in Sun Belt play. The Jags sit on top of the Sun Belt standings with their 11-3 record with WKU two games back in the win column at 9-3.
The Lady Jags will return to action when they host Florida State at Jaguar Field on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6pm.
USA Softball Sweeps FAU Thursday Evening
After being delayed for a day due to weather, the 23rd ranked Lady Jaguar softball team swept the doubleheader against Florida Atlantic on Thursday behind a big performance by Britany Campbell.
Britany, a senior outfielder, went 4-of-6 with a home run, a double, three runs scored and two RBI to earn a slugging percentage of 1.333. She also registered two putouts, one drew huge applause from the crowd after she leapt over the center field warning track to snag a deep hit that could have put the Owls back in the game.
In game one, the Jags got started quickly as they capped off the top of the inning with double play, one of two that Hannah Campbell would induce in the game. Then the Jags turned around and scored two runs off of two hits. Blair Johnson doubled to left center to drive in the first run by Emily Messer. Then Brittany Fowler singled up the middle to drive Johnson in. Two batters later Kaitlyn Griffith would single to drive in Fowler to give the Jags a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
In the top of the second the Owls would go down in order. Then the Jags would add four more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-0 lead after two.
Then in the third inning Britany Campbell would double to score Griffith from third. Then Haley Fagan would knock a three-run homer after fouling a ball off her knee earlier in the count.
FAU was unable to plate any runs despite a double and a single in the top of the fifth. The game was called due to the run-rule to make the eighth run-rule victory of the season.
Campbell pitched all five innings only allowing three hits while striking out two Owls. Hannah record this season improves to 14-7.
In game two, Clara Bowen started off a two-run third inning in game two as she singled to lead off the Jags half of the inning. Britany Campbell would follow with a single of her own. Then Messer laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Then Johnson singled through the left side to drive both runners in for a 2-0 lead.
Two innings later, Bowen and Britany Campbell struck again. Bowen drove a pitch off of the top of the wall in right center field for two more runs. Then Britany finishing off the four run inning with her fifth home run of the season for the 6-0 final score.
Hannah Campbell retired six consecutive Owls in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win while dropping her ERA to 1.04 to get the save. Farish Beard got the win in the second game to go 14-0 on the season. Beard allowed four hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work.
The Lady Jags will have Friday off before traveling to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to face Middle Tennessee in a weekend series. They kick it off with a doubleheader on Saturday with the first game scheduled to get underway at 1pm. The final game will start at noon on Sunday.
South Alabama Sports Weekend Update
Baseball
Florida Atlantic had the Jaguars number this weekend in Boca Raton as the #24 were swept in the three game Sun Belt Conference series.
In the opening game on Friday, the Jags jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Austin Gomber belted a three-run homer to right. The Owls would cut the lead down to one in the bottom of the first inning after Tyler Rocklein also homered to right field.
In the bottom of the second inning the Owls took the lead 4-3 on consecutive RBI singles. They then extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning to the final score 6-3 as the Jags were unable to get anything going to manufacture runs.
Brandon Boyle suffered the loss in five innings of work by allowing four earned runs on 10 hits with a strikeout and two walks. James Traylor struck out five and only allowed two hits in three shutout innings of relief.
On Saturday, the Owls scored five unanswered runs to defeat the Jags 7-6. Through 4 1/2 innings the Jags led 6-2 before the Owls scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run triple followed by an RBI single to cut the Jaguar lead to 6-5.
The Owls then tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a sac fly. They then scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a Jag error that allowed the runner to score from second after reaching on a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
On Sunday, FAU’s Jeremy Strawn threw a complete-game shutout as the Owls completed the series sweep with a 3-0 win over the Jags. Strawn improved his overall record to 2-1 on the season while Jacob Noble suffered his first loss of the season.
FAU scored their first two runs in the bottom of the second inning with the first coming on a Jaguar error at third base. Then their second came on a sacrifice bunt.
The Jags loaded the bases in the top of the third inning but Strawn worked out of it by inducing a grounder for a force out at home plate, then he struck out Jordan Patterson to end the Jaguar threat.
FAU improved to 19-9 on the season and 7-2 in Sun Belt play while the Jaguars fell to 22-7 overall this season and 5-4 in Sun Belt play.
The Jags are in action again on Tuesday evening as they host Mississippi State with first pitch scheduled for 6:30pm.
Softball
The Lady Jaguars split the series opening doubleheader on Friday against Western Kentucky at Jaguar Field.
In the first game the Jags fell 4-3. WKU were the first on the board with a solo home run to left center in the top of the fourth inning, only the fifth homerun given up by Hannah Campbell this season.
The Jags responded in the bottom half of the inning after a Brittany Fowler single and a Haley Fagan double that scored Fowler. Then Julie Moss put down a sacrifice bunt to move Fagan to third base before Kaitlyn Griffith knocked her sixth home run of the year to give the Jags a 3-1 lead.
The next inning the ‘Toppers scored the game-winning two-out single to score both runners on base for the 4-3 margin.
In the second game the Jags responded with an 8-5 win. The Jags opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Both schools scored a run in the fifth inning. Then the Jags scored their final runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth when they extended their lead to 8-3.
WKU would add two more runs for the final score of 8-5.
On Sunday, WKU’s ace pitcher dominated the beginning of the game by retirin gnine of the Jags first 10 batters before Blair Johnson hit a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game up at 1 apiece.
That wouldn’t last long as the ‘Toppers would respond in the top of the next inning with two runs to take a 3-1 advantage.
Britany Campbell would cut the WKU lead to one as she hit a home run over the right field wall, but consecutive fly outs would end the game.
The Lady Jags fell to 29-7 on the season and 6-3 in conference play. Hannah Campbell’s loss dropped her record to 13-7 on the season.
The Lady Jags will return to action on Wednesday with a midweek series against Florida Atlantic. They have a double-header scheduled on Wednesday with the first game set to start at 4pm.
Jags Softball Hosts WKU In Weekend Series
The South Alabama Jaguar Softball team enters this weekend’s series against conference foe Western Kentucky with a #25 ranking and a five game winning streak. They are also coming off of a big 12-5 win over #12 ranked LSU on Wednesday.
The Jags enter the game with a 28-5 record overall and a 5-1 mark in Sun Belt play. They have also won eight of their last nine games. Western Kentucky comes to town with a 17-10 record overall and a 6-2 mark in Sun Belt play.
Western Kentucky has been honored with three Pitcher of the Week honors this season. Emily Rousseau has been honored twice and Mallorie Sulaski has been honored once. They have 13 of the 17 wins for WKU.
Jaguars head coach Becky Clark realizes that WKU’s pitching staff will give them a chance to win this weekend. “They’re going to give us all we can handle,” Clark said. “We’ve got to do a great job of keeping things rolling right now. We’ve got to remain consistent and remember what got us results in the first place. We can enjoy the success we’ve had, but we’ve got to remember where it came from and stay locked in to it.”
The series gets underway Saturday with a doubleheader that begins at 4pm. Game two will begin 20 minutes after game one ends. The final game on Sunday will get underway at noon.
25th Ranked Jags Down #12 LSU 12-5 Wednesday Night
The South Alabama Jaguar Softball team delivered a big win over a top 15 ranked team in front of an overflowing crowd of spectators Wednesday night at Jaguar Field. The #25 ranked Jags defeated #12 ranked LSU 12-5 on 15 hits in their first win over the Tigers in six attempts.
The 15 hits by the Jags were the most recorded by USA in a game as well as the most allowed in a game by LSU. It also tied a season-high in runs for a game which was also a season high allowed by LSU.
Haley Fagan had a career-best 4-for-4 performance. Farish Beard and Hannah Campbell combined to strike out 10 Tigers as Beard improved her perfect record on the season to 12-0. Beard pitched 4 2/3rds innings total with two hits and five earned runs with eight strikeouts. Hannah Campbell pitched 2 2/3rds innings and allowed two hits with two strikeouts.
The Jags scored first in the bottom of the second inning when a throwing error trying to force Fagan out at second base sailed wide and allowed Julie Moss to score. The Jags added six more runs in the third inning to make it 7-0 Jaguars heading into the top of the fourth inning.
Four more runs in the fourth inning began with Fagan hitting a solo homerun over the center field wall. Going into the top of the fifth inning, the Jags had a commanding 11-0 lead.
LSU would attempt a rally but the Jags would be able to limit it to five runs before adding an insurance run in the bottom of the frame for the final score of 12-5.
Fagan had three singles to go with her home run while Johnson, Moss, Meghan Collins and Britany Campbell all had two hits each with Johnson and Collins adding two RBI’s each.
The Jags return to action this weekend when they host Western Kentucky for a three game conference series. The Jags and the Hilltoppers will play a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4pm with game two following 20 minutes after the first game concludes. First pitch for game three is scheduled for noon on Sunday.
Julie Moss Named SBC Player Of The Week For Second Time This Season
Moss was named SBC Player of the Week after accounting for 14 of the Jags 29 runs in the weekend sweep of FIU in Miami. Photo from usajaguars.com.
South Alabama’s Julie Moss was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week for her performance for the Jags against Florida International over the weekend. This is Moss’s second Player of the Week honor this season after earning it on February 18.
Moss helped lead the Jaguars to a sweep of FIU by driving in 11 runs in the three games with four hits and a career high five RBI’s in the second game of the weekend. Moss’s grand slam in game three propelled the Jags to an 8-5 win.
Moss posted a slugging percentage of 1.091 and scored three runs of her own. She accounted for 14 of the Jaguars 29 runs over the weekend.
Along with Moss, Brittany Fowler and Farish Beard have both been earned weekly honors this season giving the Jags four awards in seven weeks with back-to-back honors on two occasions this season.
The Jags will be back in action when they host LSU on Wednesday evening at Jaguar Field.