MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball had its chances both early on and late in the game, but could not capitalize on them as the Jags left eight runners on base and fell 2-0 to Appalachian State Sunday in the Sun Belt Conference series finale at Jaguar Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (25-22, 10-11 SBC) will head out on the road for their final midweek contest of the season when they travel to take on No. 15/15 LSU.  First pitch versus the Tigers is set for Tue., April 24 at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park.  The game will be shown on SEC Network+ and be the first of a four-game road stretch.

Date: 4/22
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)
Final Score: Appalachian State 2, South Alabama 0
Records: Appalachian State (15-29, 3-15 SBC), South Alabama (25-22, 10-11 SBC)

Box Score (PDF)

SCORING PLAYS
-4 Inn. — APP, 1-0 —Heather Josey double to left center (RBI), scoring Kerri White
-5 Inn. — APP, 2-0 —Avery Wheatley scored on a throwing error by the catcher

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-Trailing by two with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, Lyric Cabral looked as if she had at least tied the game up with a shot down the third base line that would have scored two, but the ball was ruled to have just gone foul.  App State pitcher Kenzie Loganecker would go on to retire the final two batters of the inning and get out of the jam.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Haleigh Lowe had two of South Alabama''s five hits as she went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double.
-Kaleigh Todd, Katelyn Gruich and Cabral also recorded hits in the loss, while Kristian Foster walked twice
-Devin Brown (16-12) pitched well allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned), while striking out nine and walking none.
-Loganecker (6-16) scattered five hits in her seven innings of work, striking out three and issuing three walks.
-White and Wheatley each had a hit and scored a run, while H. Josey had a hit as well and a RBI.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-South Alabama left eight runners on base, compared to three by Appalachian State.
-The Jaguars were also 1-for-8 in both RBI-opportunities and with two outs.
-Of Brown's nine strikeouts, four were looking.  The senior tossed 89 pitches in the complete game effort with 65 for strikes.

GAME FACTS
-South Alabama had a chance to get on the board in each of the first three innings, placing at least one runner on with less than two outs, but the Jags could not do anything with those opportunities.
-After retiring the Mountaineers in order the first time through the lineup, Brown ran into her first trouble in the fourth.  White led off the frame with a bunt single and then was moved into scoring position on Jenny Dodd's sacrifice bunt.  H. Josey then lined a double to left center that Lowe looked like she was going to be able to track down, but the ball came dislodged when the Jaguar left fielder collided with the wall.  That would allow White to come around to score and give App State the 1-0 lead.
-Appalachian State added an unearned run its next time up.  After Brown had struck out the first two batters of the fifth, Wheatley reached on an infield single and then advanced to second on an errant throw.  One batter later, Walters laid down a bunt and reached when Cabral's throw to first was wild and got past Todd covering the bag.  The second error of the inning allowed Wheatley to come all the way around from second and score (2-0).
-The Jaguars tried to get something going in the bottom of the sixth.  Lowe beat out an infield single to start the inning and snap a streak of nine-straight batters retired by Loganecker.  Foster then walked on four pitches and both runners moved into scoring position on Brittani Reid's sacrifice bunt.  Gruich's nubber off the end of the bat rolled about five feet in front of the plate and let the sophomore get to first to load the bases with one away.  Loganecker was helped out by her defense on batter later as Wheatley made a nice stop and throw home to get the lead runner.  Hannah Smith then flew out to center to end the inning and keep the Jaguars off the scoreboard.
-South Alabama would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh after Todd's two-out single to left, but Loganecker was able to get Lowe to fly out for the final out of the game.

NOTES
-The start of the game was delayed for four hours, 32 minutes due to rain in the Mobile area.
-With her walk to lead off the bottom of the third, Todd moved into a tie for fifth on the program's all-tie list with Carolina Mendoza (2007, '09-11).
-The multi-hit game for Lowe was 10th of the season and the 30th of her career moving her into 14th on the all-time program list.
-Todd's walk to start the third inning extended her reached base safely streak to 23 games, tying her for fourth with Brittany Fowler's mark set during the 2011 season.
-The run allowed by Brown in the fourth ended a stretch of 22.1 scoreless innings for the Mobile, Ala., native.
-Todd's seventh-inning single extended her current hit streak to six games.
-With her four strikeouts looking in the contest, Brown now has 55 for the season, the fourth-most in a single season at South Alabama.
-The win was the first in the series for the Mountaineers and snapped a string of 14-consecutive Sun Belt Conference losses.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game: "I thought we had opportunities throughout the game, but unfortunately we couldn't get the timely hit.  Devin [Brown] definitely gave us a chance to win the game with the way she pitched today.  This was a disappointing loss for us and going into this week, we need to figure out how to be a little bit better."

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

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