STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern used a pair of big innings Saturday afternoon to pick up a pair of 5-1 victories and sweep a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader over the University of South Alabama softball team at Eagle Field.
UP NEXT
- South Alabama (14-13, 2-2 SBC) will close out the conference series on Sunday which is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. (CT) at Eagle Field.
Date: 3/17
Place: Eagle Field (Statesboro, Ga.)
Game 1
Final Score: Georgia Southern 5, South Alabama 1
Records: Georgia Southern (18-7, 3-1 SBC), South Alabama (14-12, 2-1 SBC)
Box Score (PDF)
SCORING PLAYS
-3 Inn. — GSU, 3-0 —Shelby Wilson (unearned three-run home run to left (3 RBI), scoring India Davis (unearned) and Alesha Mann (unearned)
-3 Inn. — GSU, 4-0 —Logan Harrell (unearned) solo home run to right (RBI)
-5 Inn. — GSU, 5-0 —Makhia Freeman single to center (RBI), scoring Harrell from third
-7 Inn. — USA, 5-1 —Kristian Foster single through the left side of the infield (RBI), scoring Kaleigh Todd
KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-South Alabama looked as if it was going to get out of the third unscathed, but Savanna Mayo was unable to hang onto a ball on a tag play at third. The error ultimately led to four unearned runs in the inning, which was the difference in the contest.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Foster reached base twice with a walk and her RBI single.
-Haleigh Lowe had a double for the Jaguars' second hit of the contest.
-Todd also walked and scored the lone run for South.
-Harrell was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and her third home run of the season. She also scored twice.
-Wilson had a home run and drove in three, while Mann was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
-Rylee Waldrep (8-1) allowed just the two hits and one run in her seven innings of work.
-USA's Devin Brown (10-7) went the distance for South and only allowed one earned run, while striking out six.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Of the 21 outs recorded by Waldrep, 16 were fly-ball outs, while two were by strikeout and just one ground out (a double play).
-Waldrep threw just 81 pitches, 51 for strikes for a 63 strike percentage and retired the Jaguars in order in five of her seven innings of work.
-Of the 125 pitches thrown by Brown, 81 were for strikes.
-Four of Georgia Southern's runs scored were unearned.
-Five of the Eagle's nine hits were for extra bases.
-The top of the Eagle lineup was a combined 5-for-11 with four runs scored and four runs driven in.
-Six or more Georgia Southern players recorded three or more putouts in the game.
GAME FACTS
-Georgia Southern took an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third with four unearned runs. With two outs and a runner on, South Alabama looked as if it was going to get out of the inning as Lyric Cabral's throw down to Mayo at third was in time to get Hall trying to advance on a base hit, but the ball came dislodged on Hall's slide into the bag allowing the inning to continue.
-The Eagles made the Jags pay for the error as Wilson took a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left to put GSU on the board 3-0 for her third home run of the season. Harrell then followed with a solo shot off the foul pole in right to extend the lead to 4-0.
-GSU threatened to put more runs on the board the next inning loading the bases with one out after a pair of singles and a walk, but Brown was able to get Mann to ground out into fielder's choice play at the plate and record her fifth strikeout of the contest to end the frame.
-Georgia Southern tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth. Harrell recorded her second hit of the contest with a double to center to lead off the inning and then moved to third on a fly out to center. With two away, Freeman lifted a ball that Jag centerfielder MC Nichols broke back on, but then had to come racing in. The ball dropped in for a base hit, allowing Harrell to score from third and make it 5-0.
- Todd walked to lead off the seventh – just the second Jag baserunner of the day – and Haleigh Lowe broke through with South's first hit of the day when she lined a double to the gap in left center. After Brittani Reid was called out on a strikeout looking, Foster broke up the shutout as she singled through the left side of the infield to plate Todd from third. Waldrep though ended the rally attempt there as she got the next two batters to pop out on the infield.
NOTES
-The start at short for Foster marked the 128th straight for the senior, moving her into a tie for ninth with Emily Messer (2013-16) on the program's all-time list.
-Georgia Southern entered the series ranked second in the Sun Belt in home runs.
-First time this season that Brown has allowed multiple home runs in a game. Coming into the contest, Brown had only allowed one in her 19 previous appearances.
-The back-to-back home runs in the third by Georgia Southern marked the first time an opponent has done so in a game since Louisiana's Aleah Creighton and Lexie Comeaux did son on May 11, 2017 in last season's Sun Belt Conference tournament.
-Both of Georgia Southern's two wins to date in the series have come on its home field.
Game 2
Final Score: Georgia Southern 5, South Alabama 1
Records: Georgia Southern (19-7, 4-1 SBC), South Alabama (14-13, 2-2 SBC)
Box Score (PDF)
SCORING PLAYS
-2 Inn. — GSU, 2-0 —Macy Coleman double to center (2 RBI), scoring Farrell from third and Freeman from second
-2 Inn. — GSU, 3-0 —Mann single to left (RBI), scoring Coleman from second
-6 Inn. — GSU, 4-0 —Sydney Fisher (pinch hitter) double to right (RBI), scoring Freeman from second
-6 Inn. — GSU, 5-0 —Davis sacrifice fly to center (RBI), scoring Coleman from third
-7 Inn. — USA, 5-1 —Kamdyn Kvistad solo home run to left center (RBI)
KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-Trailing by three in the top of fourth, South had the bases loaded with two outs, but Kierra Camp was able to get an inning-ending fielder's choice at third to stop the threat.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Abby Krzywiecki, Todd, Kvistad and Brittani Reid combined to record all four of the Jags' hits in game two.
-Kvistad recorded her second home run of the season.
-Coleman reached all three of her plate appearances going 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and a walk. She also drove in two runs and scored twice.
-Freeman was 2-for-3 for GSU and scored a pair of runs, while Fisher had a pinch-hit double and a RBI.
-Camp (10-4) allowed just four hits and the one earned run, while walking four in seven innings of work, and used just 82 pitches.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Coleman's two-run double in the second came on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. During the at-bat, Coleman fouled off six pitches, including five with two-strikes before eventually working the count full.
-Of the 21 outs recorded by Camp, 14 came on ground outs with all of the putouts being credited to Wilson at first.
-South Alabama's Alexis Reid (4-6) allowed five runs on six hits, while striking out four and issuing three walks in six innings of work.
-The Jaguars had four hits and four walks in the loss.
GAME FACTS
-After sitting the Eagles down in order in the bottom of the first, A. Reid ran into some one-out trouble in the second. Farrell walked and Freeman's chopper then bounced into right to put a pair of Eagles on. The two then moved up a base on a wild pitch before Coleman lined a double to the wall in center, scoring the first two runs of the game.
-GSU added another run later in the inning as Mann singled to left to bring in Coleman from second and extend the Eagle advantage to 3-0.
-Lyric Cabral walked on four straight to begin the top half of the third, but Camp turned a 1-6-3 double play and then got Nichols to hit a chopper back to her for another ground out to end the inning.
-In the fourth, Foster and Abby Krzywiecki reached with a pair of two-out walks. Foster's came on four straight pitches from Camp, while Krzywiecki was able to work the count full before earning the free pass. B. Reid then singled to left to load the bases, but Camp was able to get Kvistad to ground into an inning-ending fielder's choice play at third to end the threat and keep South off the scoreboard.
-South Alabama again threatened in the top half of the fifth as Lowe walked with one out and then two batters later, Krzywiecki dropped in a single in shallow right center to put a pair of runners on for the Jags. Camp though was able to get another grounder to end the inning.
-After the missed scoring opportunity by South, GSU added a pair of insurance runs. The Eagles began the home half of the sixth with three straight hits, the last pinch-hit double to right by Fisher to score Freeman who singled to lead off the frame. Georgia Southern then made it 5-0 on Davis' sacrifice fly to center.
-Kvistad tried to ignite a late-inning rally for the Jags as she took a 1-0 pitch from Camp and drove it over the wall in left center for her second home run of the season to make it 5-1, but Camp was able to record three straight ground outs to end the game.
NOTES
-Game two of the doubleheader marked the 250th Sun Belt Conference game in program history for South Alabama.
-The start at short for Foster marked the 129th straight for the senior, moving her into a tie for eighth with Blair Johnson (2012-15) on the program's all-time list.
-The doubleheader sweep marked the first time in the series that the Eagles have swept the Jags.
-All three of Georgia Southern's wins in the series have come in Statesboro.
-All six of South Alabama's home runs this season have been solo shots and with five of them leading off an inning.
-Kvistad has now recorded a home run in two of her last three outings.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the doubleheader: "I thought we got out-played today. We didn't do what we needed to do and Georgia Southern did, and that led to the result we had. It's [Sun Bel] Conference play and you have to be ready to go every game, and I didn't think we were. I didn't think we executed anything we had talked about from a game-plan standpoint. Georgia Southern was just ready to go and we weren't."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_Jags. 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
—USA—
