(Game One) Box Score - South Alabama 9, Bryant 3.pdf
(Game Two) Box Score - South Alabama 2, Kansas 1 (8 inn.).pdf
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Kristian Foster delivered a bases-loaded walk-off single Saturday afternoon to give the University of South Alabama softball team a sweep of its two games at Diamond 9 Citrus II Classic held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Jaguars picked up a 9-3 win over Bryant in their first game of the day and then won 2-1 in eight innings on Foster's base hit.
"Today was a big day for us. I thought we had a couple of great team wins and I liked seeing us going after it the way we did today," South Alabama head coach Becky Clark said. "I think this team is starting to figure some things out and understand what it takes on a daily basis, so I'm excited for them to start putting those pieces together, because they work incredibly hard."
South Alabama (16-3) will conclude tournament action against Purdue at 9 a.m. (CT) on Sunday.
Kaleigh Todd and MC Nichols were both 4-for-7 at the plate in South's two outings while Savanna Mayo was 3-for-4 with a home run and three walks. Todd also was a perfect 4-for-4 in steals on the afternoon, while Foster drove in four.
With her four stolen bases on the day, the junior second baseman now has 51 for her career, passing former Jag Emily Messer for fourth on South Alabama's career list.
GAME ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 9, BRYANT 3
On the opener, South Alabama scored at least one run in each of the first six innings to take a 9-3 win over Bryant.
Todd was 3-for-4 at the plate in the win with three runs scored and three stolen bases – the second time this season that she has had three swipes in a game, while Mayo was a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run – her second of the season – and a pair of runs driven in.
Megan Harris, Amanda Minahan and Nichols each recorded two hits apiece for the Jags. Minahan also had a home run and two RBI, while Foster matched her with two RBI of her own.
Destin Vicknair improved to 8-1 on the year as she pitched 4.0 shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out four. Vicknair came out with USA holding an 8-0 lead in the fifth. Chandler Sparkman also had 2.2 innings of solid work, striking out a season-best five.
Brandi Burgin (0-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs – eight earned – and 11 Jaguar hits in five innings of work.
Gianna Pizzano was 2-for-3 at the plate, while three other Bulldogs also recorded a hit.
After scoring just three runs total in both games on Friday, South Alabama matched that in the top half of the first. Todd beat out a throw at first for an infield single to lead off the game and Harris dropped double just inside the leftfield line. Todd and Harris then came home after back-to-back wild pitches by Burgin to put USA up 2-0. The Jags later added another run on a RBI single from Mayo that scored Haleigh Lowe who had walked earlier in the inning
The Jags add another run their next at-bat as Todd scored on a Harris single and error by Bulldog first baseman Nicole Zukowski, extending USA's advantage to 4-0.
Bryant threatened to get on the board in the second, loading the bases with one out, but Vicknair was able to get a strike out looking and a pop up to Mayo at third to work out of the jam.
With one out in USA's half of the third, Lowe lined a double to left center that rolled to the wall. Minahan then followed with a shot deep over the wall in left center to extend USA's lead to 6-0. Minahan's two-run blast was her third of the season and 20th of her career.
South Alabama add single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to stretch their lead out to 8-0. Foster delivered a RBI single for USA's seventh run and Mayo then lifted her second home run of the season over the wall in left to give South the eight-run lead.
Bryant finally broke through with three runs – two earned – in the bottom of the fifth of Jag reliever Bailey Murphy. Zukowski reached on a Jaguar error and Tiffany Bell then walked to put two on and no out. The duo then moved into scoring position when they were sacrificed around to second and third by Haylee Haas. The Bulldogs got their first run of the frame on a RBI single from Nicole Davis. BU then scored its next two runs of the inning courtesy of a pair of wild pitches. Bell scored on a wild pitch by Murphy to make it 2-0 and Davis then came in on a wild pitch from Sparkman.
South got a run back in the next half inning as Nichols scores on Foster's sacrifice fly to left to extend USA's lead back out to 9-3.
From there, Sparkman closed the door on the Bulldogs to clinch the win.
GAME TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 2, KANSAS 1 (8 inn.)
The Jags final game of the day would be decided in extra innings.
Foster and Nichols each recorded two hits apiece for South Alabama, while Foster also drove in a pair of runs. Kansas (12-8) was led at the plate by catcher Jessie Roane who had a pair of hits and drove in her 21st run of the season.
Devin Brown (7-2) earned the win for the Jaguars as she went the distance for her eighth complete game of the season. In her 8.0 innings of work, Brown had six hits and an unearned run, while stranding 11 Jayhawks.
KU's Alexis Reid took the loss and fell to 6-3 on the season. Reid went 7.0 innings and allowed both Jaguar runs – one of which was earned – while also allowing five hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
The Jayhawks nearly got on the board first as they loaded the bases with one out in the third, but Brown worked out of the jam as she was able to get Harli Ridling to foul out to Foster.
Jags took advantage of their scoring chance in the bottom half of the inning as they took a 1-0 lead on Foster's single to left, which scored Todd from second.
Brown worked out of another jam in the fourth. KU placed runners at the corners with one out, but the junior righty carded a fly out to left and a pop out to short to get out of it.
Kansas tied the game with an unearned run in the fifth on Roane's RBI single to right. Roane's base hit brought in Lily Berhmann who had reached on a three-base error when Brown tried to throw her out at first. The Jayawks had a chance to do more damage, but Brown was able to get KU to leave two more aboard.
The game would go into extras with Kansas having the first chance to break the 1-1 tie. With the international tie-breaker rule in play, KU placed pinch runner No. 24 at second to start the top half of the inning. After being sacrificed to third, Brown would come through with some big outs as Madison Sykes grounded out to Foster at short and pinch hitter Taylor Dodson flew out to left to end the frame.
In USA's half of the eighth, Harris began the inning at second and then moved to third on Todd's infield single. Nichols then reached on an infield single of her own to load the bases setting up Foster for the game winner. The Jag shortstop then lined a single to left that just dropped in for a base hit, scoring Harris from third and giving South Alabama the one run victory.
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: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/sports/2013/3/13/Bull%20Pen%20Club.aspx?id=27
—USA—
