WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – Led by a pair of strong pitching performances, the University of South Alabama softball team completed the sweep at the Friends of Jaclyn Invitational hosted by Central Florida at Soldiers Creek Park.

In the opener, junior pitcher Alexis Reid tossed her first career no-hitter as the Jaguars (4-1) defeated Butler 6-0.  In game two of the afternoon, Devin Brown struck out a season high 11 batters and held North Florida to just four hits as South defeated the Ospreys 1-0.

Photo Gallery

Date: 2/11
Place: Soldiers Creek Park – Field 2 (Winter Springs, Fla.) – Friends of Jaclyn Invitational

GAME 1 – South Alabama vs. Butler
Final Score: South Alabama 6, Butler 0
Records: South Alabama (3-1), Butler (1-4)

SCORING PLAYS
-1 Inn. — USA, 1-0 — Katelyn Gruich infield single (RBI), scoring Megan Harris
-2 Inn. — USA, 3-0 — Harris single to left 2 (RBI), scoring Amanda Flynn and MC Nichols
-2 Inn. — USA, 4-0 — Kamdyn Kvistad single to left (RBI), scoring Harris
-2 Inn. — USA, 5-0 — Abby Krzywiecki sacrifice fly to center (RBI), scoring Kristian Foster
-5 Inn. — USA, 6-0 — Savanna Mayo pinch-hit single to left (RBI), scoring Gruich

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-A. Reid set the tone in the first inning as she sat down Butler's first three batters.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-A. Reid (2-0) tossed her first career no-hitter only allowing four base runners – three walks and a hit batter – in the contest.  She also struck out a season-best seven Bulldog batters.
-Harris, Kvistad and Gruich each recorded two hits in the win, while Harris also drove in two Jaguars and scored twice.
-Four South players – Mayo, Kvistad, Krzywiecki and Gruich also had a RBI.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Gruich and Mayo each had a two-out RBI in the win.
-South Alabama batted around in the bottom of the second inning.
-The Jaguars were 2-for-3 in pinch-hit opportunities.
-A. Reid retired 16 of the final 18 Butler batters that she faced, including a stretch of 12-straight from the third inning to the sixth.
-A. Reid didn't allow a ball out of the infield until the sixth inning and only allowed four balls total to the outfield with three coming in the sixth inning.
-South wasn't retired in order until the fourth inning.

NOTES
-The first inning run marked the first time this season that the Jags have scored in the opening inning.
-USA loaded the bases in the opening frame, marking the third-straight contest that the Jags have filled the bases.  In the last three games, South has loaded the bases 8 times.
-Amanda Flynn, Making her third straight start in left, recorded her first collegiate hit with a single back up the middle to lead of the home half of the second.
-The Jaguars batted around in the second inning for the second straight game, and scored four runs on six hits to take a 5-0 lead.  Harris with a pair of RBI in the inning, while Kvistad and Krzywiecki also drove in a run in the frame.
-Brittani Reid recorded her first hit and stolen base in the third inning.
-In her first at-bat of the season, Mayo recorded a pinch-hit single in the fifth to score Gruich and give South a six-run advantage.
-Freshman Hannah Smith made her collegiate debut with a pinch-hit appearance in the fifth inning.
-The no-hitter for A. Reid was the first of her career and the 17th in program history.  It was also the first for South since Devin Brown's versus Tennessee Tech (2/24/17).
-Butler entered the game with 33 hits in its first four outings before being held hitless by A. Reid.

GAME 2 – South Alabama vs. North Florida
Final Score: South Alabama 1, North Florida 0
Records: South Alabama (4-1), North Florida (2-3)

SCORING PLAYS
-5 Inn. — USA, 1-0 — Kvistad single to left (RBI), scoring Nichols

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-With the game tied 0-0, Kvistad delivered a two-out RBI single to left to score Nichols for the lone run of the game.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Brown (2-1) tossed a four-hit shutout and struck out 11, including five of the last six batters that she faced.
-Kvistad was one of four Jags to record a hit and also had the game-deciding RBI.
-Nichols also had a hit and scored the lone run of the contest.
-Gruich was 1-for-1 at the plate and also earned a walk.
-North Florida's Sydney Matzko (1-2) allowed just four hits in addition to the one run, but walked four and struck out seven.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Of Brown's 93 pitches, 70 were thrown for strikes.
-UNF's first base runner came on a hit-by-pitch when Brown was up 0-2 in the count.
-Brown threw a first-pitch strike to 22 of the 26 Osprey batters that she faced.
-The Jaguars used their fifth different batting order in as many games this season.

NOTES
-Brown's start in the circle for the Jaguars marked the 78th of her career, tying her for third all-time at USA in that category with former Jag Farish Beard (2012-15).
-UNF recorded its first hit of the day with two outs in the bottom of the third and Navia Penrod moves into scoring position with a stolen bases, but Brown recorded her fourth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
-The Ospreys had another scoring chance in their next at-bat as Dominica Coucuzza double to right and moved over to third, but Brown recorded her fifth strikeout of the contest to end the inning.
-Kvistad broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth as she lined a single to left that just got over UNF shortstop Kayla McGory allowing Nichols to come around and score all the way from second base.
-For the third straight inning, North Florida threatened to get on the board with runners at first and second with one out, but Brown again worked out of the jam as she recorded another strikeout and a fly out to Harris in right.
-The Jaguars worked a pair of two-out walks (Gruich and Cabral), but Matkzo was able to get B. Reid to pop out to first to end the inning.
-After running into trouble in the third, fourth and fifth innings, Brown retired all six of the UNF batters that she faced, striking out five of them.
-In her two outings at the Friends of Jaclyn Invitational, Brown did not walk any batters in her 14 innings for work.
-The complete game shutout marked the 53rd time that Brown has gone the distance in her career and the 27 time that she has shutout an opponent.  She is one shutout away from tying Hannah Campbell (2011-14) for the program's all-time mark.
-The win also marked the 385th in program history at South Alabama.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
-On performance of Alexis Reid and Devin Brown in the circle today: "Alexis gave us a great performance in game one today, she kept Butler off balance the whole game.  The defense also did a great job backing her up.  It was the same thing in game two.  I thought Devin made adjustments.  She wasn't able to use her best stuff and had to go to her number three and four pitches, and was still able to get batters out.  Both of them did what they needed to do out there."
-On what the team will work on this week: "We're going to use this week of practice to get better.  Offensively, we have to get more aggressive at the plate and do a better job against quality pitching. I thought we had some bright spots this weekend, especially yesterday.  Today, I felt we were ok in places, we were good in some places and we were sub-par in some places.  We just have to get more consistent."

Alexis Reid
-On getting her first career no-hitter: "It was an awesome feeling.  I just went out there and I was able to use all of my pitches and move the ball in and out of the zone."
-On locating her pitches: "In practice, I've been working on expanding my zone hitting one spot and then moving the ball in and out from that area.  When I'm able to move the ball around, I feel that helps make me a better pitcher."

Devin Brown
-On what her focus was on in the circle today: "I was just trying to make all of my pitches count.  I didn't want to try to do too much out there or try to be too perfect.  I just wanted to make it work."
-On building on the momentum from this weekend-: "It's extremely important for us to build on this weekend.  These four wins are really good for us.  Hopefully we can keep it moving and keep building on this momentum as we head into next weekend."

UP NEXT
-South Alabama will remain on the road for the second of its four non-conference tournaments as the Jags travel to Starkville, Miss., to compete in the February Freezer hosted by Mississippi State (Feb. 17-18).   The Jaguars will open up play against Murray State on Sat., Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. (CT) at Nusz Park and then take on Mississippi State later in the day at 1:30 p.m. (CT).

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).
    
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub

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