TROY, Ala. – Freshman catcher Aly Smith drove in a career-high three and junior right-hander Devin Brown tossed a one-hit shutout as the fourth-seeded University of South Alabama softball team picked up a 5-0 win Wednesday over No. 5 seed Texas-Arlington on the opening day of the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championships held at the Troy Softball Complex on the campus of Troy University.

"I thought that was a great team win for us today.  We had contributions from a number of different people both in the lineup and off the bench.  We were aggressive and executed in some places that we needed to.  It was a great way to start off the tournament.

 "I thought we stayed aggressive at the plate today and executed when I asked for execution and we put pressure on UTA to make plays.  They made some bobbles and had some balls tip off gloves that we were able to take advantage of.  The big thing for us was just getting the big hit when that happened and score some runs.  We were able to put the pressure on them to have to stop us and I thought that worked in our favor."

South Alabama (34-18) will now face top-seeded and 14th-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.  The winner of that contest will automatically advance to the semifinal round of the league tournament.  The win marked the 10th-straight for the Jaguars over a Sun Belt team.

"Obviously we have a history of playing some really great games and I think our games against each other are great for Sun Belt softball.  There are other great games for the league so I'm not just trying to put it on us.  I think if you ask [ULL head coach] Mike [Lotief] and I'll say the same thing, but I think each team makes the other better.  We both know that we're going to roll up our sleeves and go at it; we're looking forward to playing them.  I always love playing them whether it's at their place, our place or in the postseason.  It's one of those things where you want to play the best teams and if you want to play in postseason and be a top team, you have to play against top teams.  I think when we play them it makes us a better team and hopefully they feel the same way."

The shutout win for Brown was her 12th of the season and bested her single-season mark in that category that she set a year ago.  In her seven innings of work on the day, Brown allowed just the one hit and didn't allow a Maverick runner to reach second base until the seventh inning.  Brown struck out eight and walked two along with a hit batter.

"I thought she started out a little slow, but she got better as she went.  She was able to throw strikes for the most part and she hung in there.  I thought Aly [Smith] did a great job behind the plate.  I thought Devin [Brown] kept [Texas-Arlington] off balance and moved the ball around the zone.  It was a great way for us to get started."

Along with Smith, Kaleigh Todd, Haleigh Lowe and Abby Krzywiecki each had two hits in the Jaguar win.  The multi-hit performance for Todd extended her team-best mark to 24, while it was Lowe's 10th of the spring.  It was the first for both Smith and Krzywiecki.

Prior to her three-RBI performance, Smith had driven in just nine runs this season.

South Alabama recorded 10 hits in the win, which tied for the most in a Sun Belt tournament game in program history and marked the first time USA has done so in a conference tournament game since Georgia State (5/8/15).

Texas-Arlington fell to 30-25 with the loss and moves into the bottom half of the bracket.  UTA began the day with a 9-1, five-inning win over Coastal Carolina in a single-elimination game.

Sam Clakley (24-13) took the loss after allowing three runs – one earned on five hits.  Mariah Denson came in and worked two innings of relief as she allowed two unearned runs.  Shelbi Sikes recorded the Maverick's lone hit against Brown.

The Jaguars got on the board first with a pair of runs in the second inning.  Amanda Minahan worked a full-count walk to begin the inning and then with one out, USA put runners at second and third on a UTA fielding error by Mendoza.  Smith then lined a single to center that fell just in front of Laura Curry, scoring Minahan and Krzywiecki and giving South the 2-0 lead.

South Alabama added another run two innings later as Smith delivered her third RBI of the game with a single that hopped over Sikes glove at third and went into the outfield.  Krzywiecki – who had singled back up the middle with one out in the inning – scored all the way from second on Smith's second hit of the game.
 
The Jaguars strung together three-straight hits to begin their half of the fifth and extend their advantage out to 4-0.  Todd and Lowe both recorded their second hits of the contest and then moved up a base after a passed ball.  Kristian Foster then lined a single to left to score Todd and give USA the four-run lead.  South could have had another run on the Foster hit, but Lowe was thrown out at the plate.

USA stretched its lead out to 5-0 with another run in the sixth.  Krzywiecki singled to left to begin the inning and then Taylor Stevens – pinch running for Krzywiecki – moved into scoring position when Smth's sacrifice bunt was misplayed on a throwing error by Mav catcher Kacey Everett.  South loaded the bases one batter later as Haleigh Lane lined a pinch-hit single to right.  The Jaguars then took the five-run lead on UTA's second passed ball of the game, allowing Stevens to score.

UTA finally had a base runner reach second in the seventh inning as Aileen Garcia moved into scoring position on a ground out after leading the inning off with a walk.  Brown though struck out the final two Maverick batters of the game.

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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