Games 33-35: at Appalachian State Game Notes.pdf

GAMES: 33-35 | AT APPALACHIAN STATE
April 1-2, 2017 | Boone, N.C. | Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium | 4 p.m. (CT), 6 p.m. (CT) and 10 a.m. (CT)

GENERAL INFORMATION
Television: None
Radio: 99.5 The Jag FM (Game 1 Only)
    Talent: J.T. Crabtree
Audio Only: JagNationTV (Games 2 and 3)
Live Stats: www.USAJaguars.com
Live Video Stream: www.appstatesports.com
Twitter: @USAJagsSoftball

-- / -- South Alabama (20-12, 3-7 SBC)
JAGUARS
Batting Avg.: .280
Runs: 121
Runs Per Game: 3.8
Hits: 222
Home Runs: 14
Stolen Bases: 25
ERA: 2.23
Strikeouts: 197

-- / --  Appalachian State (12-18, 0-6 SBC)
MOUNTAINEERS
Batting Avg.: .257
Runs: 115
Runs Per Game: 3.8
Hits: 198
Home Runs: 16
Stolen Bases: 8
ERA: 3.45
Strikeouts: 138

Series History vs. Appalachian State
All-Time: USA, 6-0
In Boone: USA, 3-0
Last Meeting: W, 6-0 – 3/26/16
Streak: W6

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS    
– South Alabama (20-12, 3-7 SBC) enters weekend action versus Appalachian State after snapping a four-game skid Tuesday night with a 8-0, five-inning win over Troy.
– Recently, the Jags had struggled to get runners in scoring position home, but against the Trojans, USA was 6-for-11 with runners on base and 5-for-10 with a RBI opportunity and five of the team's eight runs driven in came with two outs.
– MC Nichols and Kristian Foster were each 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Kaleigh Todd scored three times and Amanda Minahan drove in a career-high five runs.
– Minahan (.275) also recorded her seventh home run of the season and the 24th of her career, which moved her into a tie for fourth place with former Jag Haley Hopkins (2009-12) on the program's all-time list.  Minahan is just four away from the all-time mark of 28 set by Christin Crocker (2009-12).
– The senior outfielder is tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in homers and she now has 28 RBI, which is tied for fourth-most in the league.  During her time in Mobile, Minahan has driven in 106 runners, which is two behind Hopkins (108) on USA's career chart in that category.
– Nichols and Todd have provided a spark at the top of the order for South as they both have around a .457 on-base percentage or better.  
– Nichols ranks second in the Sun Belt in batting average coming in at a .427 clip and she has 32 hits and 11 multi-hit games this season.
– Todd is hitting just below .400, but her .398 batting average is third-best in the league.  She has a team-high 13 multi-hit games this season and has at least one hit in nine of her last 11 outings.
– The Bessemer, Ala., native also ranks among the conference leaders in hits (39, third), triples (2, tied-third), stolen bases (16, third), runs scored (29, tied-fifth) and on-base percentage (eighth).
– Todd extended her streak of reaching base safely to 11 Wednesday night as she had the base hit, a walk and reached on an error in the first inning, leading to USA's first run.
– Megan Harris and Foster are each hitting .326 coming into the series against the Mountaineers, while Foster is second on the club with 18 RBI.
– Junior right-hander Devin Brown (10-6) leads the club in the circle with a 1.83 ERA.  In her 16 starts, she has recorded 12 complete games and eight shutouts – which ranks third in the NCAA.  
– The Theodore, Ala., native allowed just two hits and struck out two batters each inning in her last outing against Troy.  Of her 70 pitches on the night, 55 were for strikes and she didn't issue a walk.  The 10 strikeout performance was her sixth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.
– Brown has 131 strikeouts this season – second-most in the SBC – in her 107.1 innings of work.  Brown is also holding opponents to a .183 batting average.
– Senior Destin Vicknair has nine wins this season to go along with seven complete games and three total shutouts.  
– Over her last four outings, she has allowed just five earned runs in her 20.1 innings of work.
– Vicknair has also seen time in the designated player role as of late.  She is batting .333 and has reached base in each of the last four games.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS    
– Appalachian State (12-18, 0-6 SBC) comes into the three-game Sun Belt series versus the Jaguars after dropping both games of a doubleheader in Boone versus USC-Upstate on Wednesday.  The Spartans took game one 12-1 in five innings and then picked up the finale 4-2.  
– After dropping both games of the midweek doubleheader, App State has now lost six straight and 10 of its last 11 contests.
– The Mountaineers currently lead the Sun Belt in doubles with 46 and rank 31st in the NCAA in doubles per game (1.53).
– Senior infielder Cara Parker leads the team with a .326 batting average.  She also has team-highs in seven home runs and 15 runs driven in and holds a .640 slugging percentage.
– Parker is tied for fifth in the conference in home runs, ranks sixth in total bases (57) and ninth in slugging percentage.
– Natalie Orcutt leads the team in doubles with eight, which are in a four-way tie for fifth in the SBC.  Of her 29 hits this season, 13 are for extra bases.  She is second on the club with three home runs and she has a .556 slugging percentage.
– In the Mountaineers' six Sun Belt games, Orcutt is batting a team-best .353.
– Freshman right-hander Kenzie Longanecker leads Appalachian State in the circle.  She is 8-7 this season and leads the team with a 2.11 earned run average.  
– Longanecker ranks among the Top 10 of the SBC in hits allowed (74, sixth), strikeouts looking (24, seventh), opponent's batting average (.228) and eighth in the league in ERA, strikeouts (80) and runs allowed (38).
– Vanessa Ciocatto holds a 2.19 ERA, while as a staff, the Mountaineers have a 3.45 earned run average.
– App State has allowed 147 runs this season, 32 doubles and 19 home runs.
– The Mountaineers have been outscored 47-10 in its first six conference games – all of which have been on the road.  

THE SERIES    
– South Alabama and Appalachian State have met six previous times with the Jaguars holding a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series.  
– USA is 3-0 all-time in the series in games played in Boone.
– Last season, the Jags defeated the Mountaineers, 2-0, 7-2 and 6-0 in Boone.

LAST TIME THEY MET    
– In the series finale against the Mountaineers, sophomore right-hander Devin Brown pitched a complete-game no-hitter with 13 strikeouts, and the Jaguars recorded a season-high-tying 12 hits to defeat Appalachian State, 6-0 at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
– Brown was one walk away from tossing her second perfect game in a week in the victory over App State.
– Haleigh Lane set a career high in hits after going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while Kaleigh Todd tied her career high in hits after batting 3-for-4 with a pair of runs.  Kristian Foster tied her career high in RBI after driving in three on a two-run base hit and a sacrifice fly.
– Stephanie Pilkington went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and runs and an RBI.  Emily Messer scored a run and drove one in to extend her hitting streak to 15 games.

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).

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