Games 7-10: Mardi Gras Invitational Game Notes.pdf
Mardi Gras Invitational Tournament Central Page
Parking Map (For Saturday)
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team returns home this weekend to hosts its second tournament in as many weekends when the Jags welcome Butler, Jackson State, McNeese State and Murray State to Jaguar Field Friday – Sunday.
Coming into this weekend's tournament, Jaguar head coach Becky Clark has a few objectives in mind for her club.
"Definitely consistency and complete mental and physical effort," Clark said of what she wants to see out of her group in this second tournament. "We have to make consistent mental and physical effort a staple of who we are as a team. I want to see us play complete games from first pitch to last and not have moments of let down."
South will open up with Butler on Friday night at 5 p.m. The Jags will then take on Murray State (2 p.m.) and McNeese State (7 p.m.) on Saturday and Jackson State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Live stats for every game of the Mardi Gras Invitational can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com, while Friday and Sunday's games in which the Jaguars are competing will be live streamed on JagNation TV. Fans can purchase tickets Friday-Sunday and that ticket will cover all games played on that particular day. Tournament seating is $15 for reserved seating and $10 for general admission.
South Alabama (5-1) comes into this weekend's home tournament after suffering its first loss of the season with a 3-1 loss at No. 4/5 Alabama. The Jaguars out-hit the Tide 5-4 in the contest, but left four runners on base in the fourth and sixth innings. USA did manage to end UA starter Alexis Osorio's consecutive innings streak of not allowing a hit or a base runner.
Kaleigh Todd and MC Nichols each went 2-for-3 in the Wednesday night's game, while Todd scored the lone run for the Jags.
Todd currently ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in batting average (.471) and on-base percentage (.571), while also ranking in the top 10 in stolen bases (second, 5), hits (T-third, 8) and runs scored (T-fifth, 5).
Last weekend, the Jaguars swept through the Sand Dollar Classic, allowing just one earned run in their five games.
"Right now I feel like there have been bright spots and glimpses of being a top team and then there have been some moments where we were somewhat average," Clark said. "I think as we move forward we have to decide which one of those we want to be and lock into that on a consistent basis. I definitely feel like we have the tools to be good; it will all come down to us doing the mental work."
Senior outfielder Amanda Minahan and freshman infielder Abby Kryzwiecki have provided most of the run production for the team this season as the duo has combined for 14 RBI. Minahan is first in the league with nine RBI, while Kryzwiecki is tied for ninth with five. Minahan is also tied for second in the SBC in home runs with two. As a team, the Jaguars are tied for the top spot with four. Kryzwiecki drove in USA's lone run against Bama with a RBI-double in the fourth.
South continues to be steady in the circle as it leads the conference in earned run average (0.72), strikeouts (38) and earned runs allowed (4) among other categories.
Junior Devin Brown (2-1), the reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, has an ERA of 0.97 and is holding batters to a .135 batting average, while the Mobile native also has a team-best 29 strikeouts. Senior right-hander Destin Vicknair lead the club with a 3-0 record and a 4-0 ERA. The duo has gone the distance in all but one of their starts with Brown picking up the save in the season opener against Central Arkansas.
Butler enters play this weekend after posting a 3-2 record at the Total Control Sports Invitational in Rosemont, Ill. The Bulldogs posted wins over Miami (Ohio), Detroit and Wisconsin-Green Bay, while falling 7-6 to Western Illinois and 10-0 in five innings to Illinois-Chicago.
Junior outfielder Sarah Dixon earned player of the week honors from the Big East for her performance during the opening weekend of the season. In her five games, Dixon recorded a .667 slugging percentage, a .500 batting average, nine hits, six runs and six RBI. Dixon had a walk-off two-run double in Butler's 13-12 win over Miami (Ohio).
Maddie Christiansen leads the club at the plate as she is batting .545 in her 11 at-bats.
As a team, BU is batting .403 with 54 hits, 10 doubles and 32 RBI, while also having a .507 slugging percentage.
The Bulldogs have struggled in the circle so far as they have a team ERA of 6.28 and have allowed 37 runs in 29.0 innings of work. Opponents are hitting .346 against the Bulldog staff. Kacey Starwalt paces the club on the mound as she is 1-1 with a 3.75 earned run average. Gabbi Schnaitor has recorded 17 strikeouts in 11 innings of work and walked just three. She has however allowed 19 hits and nine runs, seven of which are earned.
Murray State enters the second week of action after posting a 4-1 record at the Mercer Invitational in Macon, Ga., last weekend. The Racers outscored their opponents 29-6 in their four wins, but lost 14-5 to Kent State on Saturday. After dropping the nine-run decision to KSU, Murray State bounced back with a 10-0 five-inning win in the rematch on Sunday.
Breanna Finck, Kaylee Ranburger and Taylor Odom lead Murray State at the plate as each are hitting .400 on the young season. Finck leads the team with a 438 batting average and has a .625 slugging percentage. Both Fink and Ranburger have a team-high seven hits.
Senior catcher Jocelyn Rogers has two home runs and her eight RBI pace the club.
Mason Robinson leads the Racers in the circle as she has a 3-0 record and holds a 1.84 earned run average. Robinson has allowed 26 hits in her 19.0 innings of work, but she has only given up six runs - five earned.
As a staff, Murray State holds a 4.06 ERA through its first five games. Opponents are batting .298 versus the group.
McNeese State (3-4) comes into this weekend's action after suffering a 3-0 loss in Lake Charles to Sun Belt member Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday night. McNeese was held to just two hits in the loss and had its nine-game home win-streak snapped by the Warhawks.
Last weekend, the Cowgirls opened the 2017 season at the LSU Tiger Classic where they defeated twice Penn State, lost twice to Oklahoma State and once to then-fourth-ranked LSU. Both the second meeting versus OSU (L, 6-5, 8 inn.) and the game against the Tigers (4-3) were both one-run decisions.
Juniors Erika Piancastelli, Morgan Catron and Shanice Hagler lead McNeese with a .333 batting average. Piancastelli and Catron both have a team-high seven hits on the season.
Piancastelli earned numerous national preseason honors as she was a preseason All-American by FastPitch News and named to the organization's Top 50 Hitters List. She was also selected to the D1SoftballNews.com Player of the Year "watch list" and USASoftball's Top 50 Player of the Year "Watch List", along with first-team all-Southland Conference selection.
As a sophomore, Piancastelli earned NFCA second team All-American honors, and was named the Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year as well as the 2016 SLC Tournament MVP.
Tori Yanitor has the only home runs of the season for the Cowgirls with two, both were three-run shots against Penn State. Yanitor also paces the team with eight RBI.
Jackson State (1-5) saw its losing streak extend to five games on Wednesday night as the Tigers dropped both games of a doubleheader at Nicholls State. JSU was no-hit in the first game, falling 13-0 in five innings, and then was one-hit in the second game of the day, falling 8-0, also in five innings.
Jackson State won its season opener 4-3 over Jarvis Christian.
Offensively, the Tigers are led by the trio of Denisha Knight, Gaylon Johnson and Victoria Nelson. Knight is batting .375 in her six starts and leads the club with five RBI. She also has three doubles and one triple on the year and a .688 slugging percentage. Johnson is batting .364 this season with three runs batted in. Like Knight, Nelson also has six hits this season.
As a team, JSU is hitting .277 and is being outscored 62-22 on the year.
Sybil Lozano holds the best ERA on the team at 7.29. She has allowed 22 runs, 17 earned in her 16.1 innings of work. The Tiger staff also holds a team earned run average of 8.85. JSU has also issued 27 walks while allowing 53 hits.
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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