TROY, Ala. – The fourth-seeded South Alabama softball team saw its time at the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championships come to an end as Texas-Arlington's Krista Rude scored on a walk-off sacrifice fly from Aileen Garcia to give the Mavericks a 2-1 win and eliminate the Jaguars Friday afternoon.
With the loss, South Alabama falls to 35-20 on the spring, while UTA (32-25) advances to play Texas State later in the day.
"It was a tough game and a tough loss; we definitely had our opportunities and we just didn't get it done," South Alabama head coach Becky Clark said. "Texas-Arlington was able to do what they needed and that was the difference in the game. We fought and competed; we just couldn't get the big hit when we needed it."
Missed opportunities would come back to haunt the Jaguars as they left eight on base in the loss.
Abby Krzywiecki, Amanda Minahan, Haleigh Lane and Ally Smith each had singles for the Jaguars, while MC Nichols also reached after drawing a pair of walks.
Devin Brown (19-7) suffered the loss, allowing an unearned run on two hits and a pair of walks in 2.2 innings of work. Destin Vicknair made the start in the circle and went four-plus innings, giving up one run on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Rude led the Mavs at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance, while Laura Curry was also 2-for-3 and scored the other UTA run.
Sam Clakley picked up her 26th win of the season and improved to 26-13 with the win. Clakley – the Mavericks' third pitcher of the contest – entered in the fifth and went 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit, one walk and striking out two.
South Alabama got on the board first with a run in the opening frame. With two away, Minahan singled back up the middle to put runners on first and second. After being down in the count 0-2, Krzywiecki worked the count full and after fouling off a pair of pitches the freshman capitalized on the eight-pitch at-bat as she lined a single to left, allowing Kristian Foster to score from second. The Jags had a chance to do more damage in the inning, but left the bases loaded.
After leaving at least one runner on base through each of the four innings, UTA tied the game up in its half of the fifth. Curry tripled of the wall in left center to start the inning and Sandra Mendoza then doubled to the gap in right to plate the Mavs' first run of the game.
Brown would enter the game following Mendoza' s double and give up an infield single to Rude and a walk to Whitney Walton to load the bases with no outs. The junior right-hander would buckle down though and record the next three Mav batters. After a foul out to left, Texas-Arlington tried to take the lead as Reagan Wright laid down a squeeze bunt, but Savanna Mayo made an outstanding play to just get Mendoza at the plate and keep the game tied. One batter later, Brown was able to get Foster to pop out to Krzywiecki at first and end the threat.
South Alabama had a scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh as Smith reached on an infield single deep in the hole at short to start the frame. Taylor Stevens – pinch-running for Smith then stole second and advanced to third after an illegal pitch by Clakley was called. Dayla Gulledge then walked to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Clakley induced a ground out to third by Foster to end the inning.
With one away in the bottom half of the inning, Rude's chopper got just over Mayo's head at third allowing her to reach on an infield single. Rude then stole second and advanced to third when Smith's throw down kicked off her and went into left allowing Rude to advance to third. After a walk to Walton, Garcia hit a fly ball to center and Minahan came home with the throw, but it was up the line allowing Rude to slide home safely and give UTA the 2-1 walk-off win.
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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