HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Kaleigh Todd and Kristian Foster each tied career highs with four-hit efforts to lead the University of South Alabama softball team to a 10-4 non-conference road win over Southern Mississippi Wednesday night at the USM Softball Complex.

The eight combined hits by Todd and Foster were part of a season-high 14 from the Jaguars in the win.  The 10 runs tied a season-best set earlier this season against Illinois.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (11-11) will now return home to open up Sun Belt Conference action with a three-game series versus UTA at Jaguar Field.  The series is scheduled to open up with a doubleheader on Saturday (1/3 p.m.) and conclude on Sunday with a single game set to begin at noon.

Date: 3/7
Place: USM Softball Complex (Hattiesburg, Miss.)
Final Score: South Alabama 10, Southern Mississippi 4
Records: South Alabama (11-11), Southern Mississippi (9-11)

Box Score (PDF)

SCORING PLAYS
-1 Inn. — USA, 1-0 — Kristian Foster single (bunt) (RBI), scoring Kaleigh Todd
-1 Inn. — USM, 2-1 — Chase Nelson (unearned) and Destini Brown (unearned) score on throwing error by Katelyn Gruich
-2 Inn. — USA, 2-2 — Todd single to left (RBI), scoring Savanna Mayo
-4 Inn. — USA, 4-2 — MC Nichols (unearned) and Todd (unearned) score on a throwing error by Nelson
-4 Inn. — USA, 6-2 — Gruich singles back up the middle, scoring B. Reid (unearned) and Lyric Cabral (unearned)
-5 Inn. — USA, 7-2 — Nichols steals third and scores on a throwing error by Samantha Papp
-5 Inn. — USA, 8-2 — B. Reid triple to left center (RBI), scoring Todd
-5 Inn. — USA, 9-2 — Foster double to left (RBI), scoring B. Reid
-5 Inn. — USM, 9-3 — Destini Brown steals third and scores (unearned) on a throwing error by Cabral
-6 Inn. — USM, 9-4 — Alyssa Davis home run to center (RBI)
-7 Inn. — USA, 10-4 — Foster single to center (RBI), scoring Nichols

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-With the game tied 2-2, USM starter Kim Crowson looked as if she was going to get out of a bases-loaded jam as she induced a grounder to short, but Nelson's throw was low and got past the Golden Eagle first baseman allowing two runs to score and eventually leading to two more.  South Alabama would score four unearned in the frame and break the game open.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Todd and Foster were each 4-for-5 at the plate with Todd stealing two bases, scoring three times and driving in a run.  Foster also had 3 RBI.
-B. Reid and Nichols reached base three times in the contest.  B. Reid was 2-for-4 with a walk, a RBI and two runs scored, while Nichols had an infield single, a walk and was hit by a pitch to go along with her three runs scored and a stolen base.
-Mayo reached base twice with a hit and a walk and scored a run.  Gruich drove in two with her base hit.
-Of the four runs allowed by Jag starter Alexis Reid (4-5) only one was earned.  
-Devin Brown pitched two innings of scoreless relief and struck out five.
-Destini Brown reached base twice for Southern Miss with a hit and a walk.  She also scored twice.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-The Golden Eagles' first four base runners came via a pair of walks, a hit batter and a Jaguar error.
-Samantha Reynolds recorded the first Southern Miss hit of the night with a two-out single to left that was just off the glove of Foster.
-South Alabama had multiple base runners reach in each of the first five innings before being retired in order in the sixth – the only time the Jags were retired in order in the contest.
-Of the six batters retired by D. Brown, five came by strikeout.

GAME FACTS
-South Alabama jumped on the board early with a run in the top of the first.  Todd led off the game with a single through the left side of the infield and advanced to second on the throw.  She was then moved over to third on a ground out by Haleigh Lowe.  With runners at the corners, Foster dropped down a beautiful squeeze bunt down the third base line, allowing Todd to come home and give the Jags the 1-0 lead.
-Southern Miss answered back with a pair of unearned runs in bottom half of the first.  Nelson walked to start the inning for the Golden Eagles and runners then moved to second and third as Destini Brown reached due to the first Jag error of the inning as A. Reid's throw to first was into the USM runner allowing Destini Brown and Nelson to move into scoring position.  Sarah Van Schaik then line out to Gruich at first, but while attempting to double Brown off at second, the Jag first baseman's throw was wild and went all the way to the wall in left center allowing both USM runners to score and make it 2-1.
-South tied the game back up at 2-2 its second tie up at bat when Todd recorded her second hit in as many at-bats with a single through the left side of the infield plating Mayo who led off the inning with an infield single up the middle.
-USM put a pair of runners on in scoring position again without the benefit of a hit with a walk and a hit batter, but A. Reid was able to get Nelson to ground out to third to end the inning.
-Nichols walked to start the fourth and advanced to third on some aggressive base-running as Todd beat out an infield single for her third hit of the contest.  With one out, Todd then stole her second base of the game and Brittani Reid walked on four pitches to load the bases.
-Crowson looked as if she was going to get out of the inning unscathed as she recorded a strikeout and got Cabral to hit a grounder to Nelson at short, but Nelson's throw was low and unable to be gloved at first.  The throwing error allowed Nichols and Todd to come into score (6-2).  Gruich then bounced a two-run single back up the middle to plate B. Reid and Cabral and extend the Jaguar advantage to 8-2.
-South Alabama kept the scoring going with three more runs in the fifth.  With one away, Nichols was hit by a pitch and Todd beat out an infield single for her fourth hit of the night.  Nichols then stole third and came into score on a throwing error by USM catcher Samantha Papp.  B. Reid then continued her hot hitting as she tripled to the gap in left center and came around to score one batter later as Foster lined a double to the wall in left to score B. Reid and make it 9-2.
-The Golden Eagles got a run back (unearned) in the bottom half of the fifth to cut the Jaguar lead to 9-3.  Brown singled to center with two outs in the inning.  She then stole third and on the play, Cabral's throw went off Mayo's glove at third and trickled into shallow left allowing Brown to run home.
-After making a couple of nice defensive plays in the top half of the inning to retire the Jags in order for the first time, Davis led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot over the wall in center to cut the deficit to 9-4.  USM would place runners at first and second, but Devin Brown entered the game and recorded a pair of strikeouts and got Nelson to ground out to second to end the inning.
-South Alabama placed runners at the corners with two outs.  Nichols led the inning off with an infield single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  After a pair strikeouts, B. Reid reached on an infield single and Foster then dropped in the two-out single in shallow center to score Nichols and put the Jags up by six.
-The Golden Eagles put a pair of runners on in the seventh – walk and hit batter – but Devin Brown struck out the side to end the game.

NOTES
-The multi-hit effort was Todd's second of the season and the 46th of her career. Todd also tied a career-high with her four hits.
-With her four hits in the contest, Foster recorded her fifth multi-hit game of the season and the 28th of her career, and tied a career high as well.
-The 3 RBI also tied a career high for Foster and was the 21st multi-RBI game of her career.
-The three runs scored by Nichols and Todd equaled a career-best in the category for both players and moved Todd into a tie with Cristin Crocker for fourth all-time at South Alabama as she now has scored 120 for her career.
-The RBI-triple in the fifth for B. Reid was her second of the season.
-The 14 hits were a new season high for the Jaguars and the 10 runs scored tied a season best.
-The Jaguars were 10-for-28 at the plate with runners on base and 5-for-13 with two outs.
-Davis's sixth-inning home run was just the second of the season for the Golden Eagles.
-Devin Brown's strikeout of the side in the seventh inning marked the third time she has done so in a game this season. She also struck out the side against North Florida (2/11) and Toledo (3/2).
-The game against Southern Miss was the final one of a 10-game road swing for South Alabama.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
-On the offensive production: "We had people out there tonight who were taking care of their role.  Our on-base people were getting on and then our RBI people stepped up and drove them in.  I saw some unselfish at-bats at the plate tonight.  We were giving ourselves up to move runners over.  We then had players come in behind them and drive in the runs.  I liked what I saw offensively.  I thought that it was a collective, team-effort.  We need to stay locked into that because when we do that, we give ourselves a chance to put up some runs."
-On the aggressiveness on the base paths getting set early: "I thought that [Kaleigh] Todd definitely set the tone early for us, and we needed that.  We didn't need just that though, we needed the people behind her to come in and do their part as well, and I thought that was a big thing for us tonight.  She started it for us and we had people move runners over, and then we were able to get the hit to score the run.  I like the fact that we kept the pressure on the whole game and played the entire game."

Kaleigh Todd
-On the aggressiveness of the lineup at the plate "My job is to always be the table-setter and if I'm able to do that, I know my teammates will be there to back me up."
-On carrying the momentum into the conference opener: "We played team offense tonight.  Everyone 1 through 9 gave us something in this game.  We just have to carry that through and be aggressive and keep swinging."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_Jags. 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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