WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – The University of South Alabama bounced back and swept both games Saturday at the Friends of Jaclyn Invitational held at Soldiers Creek Park.  In the opener, the Jaguars rallied back from a three-run deficit to defeat Providence and then in the nightcap jumped out to an eight-run advantage before defeating Illinois, who was receiving votes in both major national polls.

Photo Gallery

Date: 2/10
Place: Soldiers Creek Park – Stadium (Winter Springs, Fla.) – Friends of Jaclyn Invitational

Box Score.pdf
Final Score: South Alabama 4, Providence 3
Records: South Alabama (1-1), Providence (0-3)

SCORING PLAYS
-3 Inn. — PC, 2-0 — Britteny Veller two-run triple to center, scoring Marisa Jenkins and Mackensie Compton
-3 Inn. — PC, 3-0 —Veler scores on an error errant throw from third
-4 Inn. — USA, 3-1 — Katelyn Gruich RBI single to left, scoring Foster
-4 Inn. — USA, 3-2 — Lyric Cabral RBI single to right, scoring Abby Krzywiecki
-5 Inn. — USA, 3-3 — Kamdyn Kvistad RBI ground out to short, scoring MC Nichols
-6 Inn. — USA, 4-3 — Kristian Foster RBI single to center, scoring Megan Harris

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-With the game tied 3-3, Providence looked as if it were going to retake the lead as Chirsti San Antonio dropped in a single in center, but South Alabama's Nichols was able to gun down Portillo at the plate to keep the game tied up.  USA would take the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning on a RBI single of its own.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Foster led the Jaguars at the plate as she was 2-for-3, her 24th multi-hit game of her career.  Foster also scored and drove in a run in the win.
-Six other Jaguars – Todd, Nichols, Kvistad, Gruich, Cabral and Harris – had one hit apiece in the game.
-Along with Foster, Nichols, Krzywiecki and Harris scored runs for South.
-Alexis Reid (1-0), making her first start in a Jag uniform, went the distance and recorded her first win of the season, allowing just three runs (two earned) on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk in her seven innings of work.
-Miranda Trinidad (0-1) took the loss for the Friars allowing four runs on eight hits, while striking out five.
-Emma Lee, Veler, San Antonio, Jenkins and Compton each recorded hits for Providence in the loss.  Veler also drove in two of the Friars' runs.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-South Alabama placed the leadoff batter on base each of its last three at-bats and scored each inning, while Providence only had its leadoff batter reach base twice during the game.
-The Jaguars were also 2-for-6 at the plate with the bases loaded against the Friars.

NOTES
-Kvistad recorded her first collegiate hit in the bottom of the second with a double to the left-center gap.
-After missing a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second, Providence put three runs (two earned) on the board the next half inning.  The Friars recorded back-to-back singles and then with two outs, Veler tripled to center.  PC's third run of the inning came after an errant throw to first.
-The Jaguars loaded the bases without the courtesy of a hit (two walks and a hit batter) to begin the fourth and Gruich singled through the left side of the infield to plate Foster.
-Cabral drove in her first career RBI in the fourth with a single through the right side of the infield to score Krzywiecki who had walked.
-South loaded the bases with no outs for the second straight inning in the fifth and Kvistad tied the game up with an RBI round out to short for her first collegiate run driven in.
-Providence threatened to retake the lead in the top half of the sixth with a single to center, but PC's Vanessa Portillo was thrown out at the plate by Nichols
-South Alabama took its first lead of the contest in the home half of the sixth as Foster delivered a two-out single to center to score Harris who led the inning off with a bunt single.
-True freshman Amanda Flynn made her first collegiate start in left field for the Jaguars.

Box Score
Final Score: South Alabama 10, (RV/RV) Illinois 3
Records: South Alabama (2-1), Illinois (2-1)

SCORING PLAYS
-2 Inn. — USA, 2-0 — Morgan Lutticken (pinch-hit) single to the right side, scoring Taylor Stevens (pinch runner) and Gruich.
-2 Inn. — USA, 3-0 —Todd walk, scoring Haleigh Lowe (pinch runner)
-3 Inn. — USA, 6-0 — Cabral three-run double to right center, scoring Kvistad, Krzywiecki and Gruich
-3 Inn. — USA, 7-0 — Harris RBI-infield single, scoring Cabral (unearned)
-4 Inn. — USA, 8-0 — Harris RBI-Single up the middle, scoring Kvistad (unearned)
-5 Inn. — IU, 8-1 — Rowan McGuire pinch-hit single to left, fielding error by leftfielder, scoring Giddens
-7 Inn. — USA, 9-1 — Cabral sacrifice fly to center, scoring Brittani Reid (pinch runner)
-7 Inn. — USA, 10-1 — Harris reaches on fielder's choice
-7 Inn. — IU, 10-2 — Kiana Sherlund RBI infield single, scoring Sam Acosta (unearned)
-7 Inn. — IU, 10-3 — Maddie Doane RBI double to right, scoring Sherlund (unearned)

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-With the bases loaded in the top of the third, Cabral delivered a three-run double to the gap in right center to break the game open and give South Alabama a 6-0 advantage.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Harris led the Jags at the plate as she was 3-for 4 with a career-high three runs driven in.
- Krzywiecki also had a multi-hit outing for the Jags as she was 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored.   She reached base safely in three of her four plate appearances as she also had a walk.
-Guich walked and scored twice in the contest.
-Devin Brown (1-1) went the distance for her 53rd career complete game.  In her seven innings of work, Brown scattered nine hits, allowing just one earned run and two unearned runs, while striking out three and not issuing a walk.
-Illinois was led at the plate by Sherlund, Doane and Bella Loya who each had two hits apiece.  Sherlund and Doane also had a RBI, while the former scored a run.
-Illini reliever Danielle Brouchu struck out seven Jag batters in her four innings of work.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-South Alabama loaded the bases six times during the game and was 3-for-8 at the plate in those situations.  USA was also 9-for-23 with runners in scoring position.
-In each of her two walks, Gruich was down 0-2 in the account before eventually working it full and drawing the free pass.
-Foster's single in the fifth came after an 11-pitch at-bat.
-Eight of the nine South Alabama starters reached base safely via either a walk or a base hit.
-Illinois used four pitchers in the game.

NOTES
-South Alabama struck first with three runs on one hit in the top of the second.  Illinois also hit one Jag batter and walked four in the inning.
-With one out and the bases loaded, Lutticken delivered a pinch-hit two-run RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Stevens, who was pinch running for Krzywiecki (HBP), and Gruich (walk).
-After another walk to pinch-hitter Dayla Gulledge reloaded the bases two batters later, Todd walked to bring in Lowe (pinch runner).
-The Jags loaded the bases for the second time in as many innings in the third with walks by Kvistad and Gruich sandwiching a single by Krzywiecki.  Cabral then followed with a bases-clearing double to the gap in right center.  The freshman advanced to third on the play and was called safe after a fielding error at third.  She then scored on Harris' RBI infield single to make it 7-0
-South loaded the bases for the third-straight inning and added an unearned run as Harris singled back up the middle to score Kvistad, who had reached on an error to start the inning.  IU would commit one other error in the inning to load the bases before Harris' single.  
-The Illini broke up the shut out in the bottom of the fifth on a pinch-hit RBI single to left by Rowan McGuire.  Kate Giddens scored on the play when Flynn in left was unable to cleanly field the ball.  The run became earned later in the inning.
-Krzywiecki's walk in the seventh tied the program's single-game record of 10 set back on Feb. 22, 2013 vs. Mount St. Mary's.
-With her RBI in the seventh, Harris set a new career best in the category.
-Illinois added two unearned runs in its half of the seventh to narrow the final margin to seven.
-Todd made her 113 consecutive start for South Alabama in the contest moving her into a tie for 10th in program history with Kristen Hayes (2007-09).  The two starts were also Foster's 105th straight for the Jaguars.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
-On bouncing back with a pair of quality wins: "You're always happy to win on the road in a different atmosphere away from home.  I thought we started out slow in game one today, but I was happy to see us comeback and get the win.  I didn't think we played that great overall in the opener, but Alexis [Reid] pitched a good game and did a good job for us on the mound.  Overall though, I thought our defense got sloppy in places and I wasn't thrilled with the at-bats we were having.  

"In between games, I talked about us finding that sense of urgency at the beginning of the game and I thought we did that against Illinois, but I thought it fell off at the end.  It's a focus thing and a discipline thing.  We have to do a better job of playing a complete game.  Our goal tomorrow is to come in and play two complete games."
-On the patience at the plate in the second game of the day: "I thought we went to the plate with some focus.  We knew what we wanted to hit and we had better at-bats, which I didn't think the previous two games we had been doing much.  I told them after our game this morning that 'I know it's only our second game of the season, but we've been going live for over a month now.  We're fortunate to be in an area of the country were we can go live, and we know what it looks like out there on the field.  There's not a settling in for us, because we've already gone through that.'

"I thought in the second game tonight, that we had much better at-bats and you see what that approach gets you.  We went through four pitchers [against Illinois] and that's hard to do, but for them to have that patience at the plate was a testament to the players' discipline and work at the plate."

Lyric Cabral
-On the double that broke the game open against Illinois: "I'm pretty sure it was a curve ball.  I wasn't necessarily looking for a certain pitch because I had rolled over the ball on my first at-bat.  Coach [Clark] just told me to relax and get within myself and trust my eyes, and that's what I did."
-On getting the two wins: "I thought we did pretty well today.  We're not exactly where we want to be right now, but we're taking steps forward.  Hopefully we can carry this momentum into tomorrow's games."

UP NEXT
- South Alabama will close out play at the UCF tournament on Sunday with a pair of games starting with Butler at 8:30 a.m. (CT) and then North Florida at 11 a.m. (CT).

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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