GULF SHORES, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team picked up a 9-1, six-inning run-rule victory in game one on Saturday over Tennessee State, but fell 2-0 to Louisiana Tech in its second contest at the Sand Dollar Classic held at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (1-2) will close out play at the Sand Dollar Classic on Sunday when the Jaguars face Western Kentucky at 10 a.m.

Date: 2/9
Place: Gulf Shores Sportsplex (Gulf Shores, Ala.)

Game 1
Final Score: South Alabama 9, Tennessee State (6 inn.)
Records: South Alabama (1-1), Tennessee State (0-3)

Box Score

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- After surrendering the lead the previous half inning, South Alabama took the lead for good with a five-run second inning.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Freshman RHP Samantha Yarbrough (1-0) went the distance in the opener allowing just one run on five hits, four hit batters and a walk in her first collegiate start. She also struck out five in her six innings of work.
- Kamdyn Kvistad went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in a run, while Kennedy Cronan also recorded a pair of hits and a RBI.
- Amanda Flynn led the team with two RBI and a triple, while MC Nchols, Brittani Reid and Abby Krzywiecki each had a hit and drove in a run.
- Savanna Mayo and Meghan Harris also scored two runs apiece.
- Taylor Stevens also laid down a pair of sacrifice bunts and recorded her first career hit in the fifth.
- Tennessee State was led at the plate by Reese Weber who went 2-for-3 and drove in the Tigers' lone run.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- South Alabama had the leadoff batter reach in four of its six at-bats, while Tennessee State did not have any of its lead off batters reach base in the contest.
- Both teams left nine runners on base.
- The Jaguars sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning.
- The two teams combined for six hit batters – South Alabama (4) and Tennessee State (2).

GAME FACTS
- After South left a pair of runners on in the top of the first, Tennessee State took the early lead courtesy to a pair of hit batters. With two on and away in the bottom half of the opening frame, Weber lined a single to left to plate Patton Akers.
- The Jaguars answered back and took control the next half inning as South erupted for five runs. The Jags sent 10 batters to the plate and only recorded two hits. USA was aided by three Tiger errors.
- South loaded the bases with one out without the courtesy of a hit. M. Nichols then singled to center to bring in Mayo, who had reached on an error to begin the inning. Two more Jags came into score one batter later on Flynn's RBI fielder's choice and Tennessee State's second miscue of the frame.
- South Alabama's final two runs of the second came on a B. Reid RBI single to left and TSU's third error of the contest in which Kvistad was credited with a run driven in on the play.  
- South added another run (6-1) in the fourth on Krzywiecki's single to center, plating B. Reid from third. The Jag designated player had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.
- Tennessee State loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but Yarbrough was able to get Sarah Snell to ground out to second to end the inning.
- Flynn came up big South's next time at the plate as the sophomore outfielder dropped in a two-out stand up triple just inside left field line scoring Harris and making it 7-1.
- South Alabama put the game away with two more runs in the sixth. With runners at second and third after a passed ball and one out in the inning, Cronan delivered a RBI single to right, scoring Krzywiecki. Pinch-hitter Holly Stewart then put the Jags up by eight (9-1) with a RBI of her own.

NOTES
- Yarbrough made her Jaguar debut in the circle versus Tennessee State.
- The meeting was the third in the all-time series and the 30th by South Alabama versus a current Ohio Valley Conference member.
- South Alabama is now 3-0 in the series versus the Tigers and 21-9 against the OVC.
- Prior to her fifth inning single, Stevens had been 0-for-8 in her previous career at-bats.
- The multi-hit outing was the 11th of Kvistad's career, while Cronan's was the first of her Jaguar career.
- Flynn also carded her first multi-RBI outing and first extra-base hit.
- The nine runs scored by South Alabama were the second-most runs that the Jags have scored in a game at the tournament.
- The run-rule victory was also the sixth in program history at the Sand Dollar Classic.

Game 2
Final Score: Louisiana Tech 2, South Alabama 0
Records: Louisiana Tech (3-0), South Alabama (1-2)

Box Score

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- Louisiana Tech broke a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the top of the third as Morgan Turkoly scored on Zoe Hicks' two-out single to left.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- B. Reid recorded two of South's three hits in the loss as she was 2-for-3 with a double.
- Stevens had the other base hit for the Jags with a third-inning double.
- USA's Alexis Reid (0-2) pitched well enough to earn the win as she only allowed two runs – one earned – on eight hits and four walks.
- Louisiana Tech's Preslee Gallaway (2-0) held the Jags to just three hits and struck out six, while also not allowing a walk.
- Mary Terral was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Hicks also had a pair of hits and a RBI.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Both of South Alabama's doubles came at the start of an inning.
- The two teams combined to leave 15 runners on base – Louisiana Tech (11) and South Alabama (4).
- USA was 0-for-8 in two-out hitting and 0-for-5 with an RBI opportunity.
- Louisiana Tech had the lead batter reach in four of its seven at-bats.
- Preslee retired the first six batters she faced.

GAME FACTS
- Louisiana Tech loaded the bases without recoding a hit in the top of the first, but A. Reid was able to get Terral to ground into an inning-ending fielder's choice to Cronan at short.
- Tech got on the board first with an unearned run in the top of the third. With one away, Turkoly laid down a bunt and reached when the ball popped out of Mayo's glove at first and advanced to second on the play. Two batters later, Turkoly crossed the plate after Hicks lined a single to left.
- The Bulldogs could have done more damage in the inning, but M. Nichols robbed a possible two-run home run off the bat of Marilyn Rizzato with a leaping catch at the wall in center to end the frame.
- Trailing by a run, the Jaguars looked as if they might get something started in the third and the fourth as Stevens and B. Reid led off the innings with doubles, but Preslee retired each of the next three batters those two innings.
- The defensive play of Stevens in the sixth kept Louisiana Tech off the scoreboard. With a runner at second and one away, Stevens made a leaping grab up against the netting in foul territory for out two. Tech tried to pull off a squeeze bunt the next batter, but Stevens went up for the throw home and made the tag at the plate while being upended to maintain the one-run deficit.
- Louisiana Tech added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Turkoly walked and Jazlyn Crowder singled back up the middle to start things off. After a fielder's choice retired Turkoly and a sacrifice bunt, Terral beat out an infield single to plate Crowder.
- Preslee then retired the Jaguars in order to close out the game and pick up the victory.

NOTES
- The multi-hit game was the 13th of her career.
- The loss was the first in four meetings in the all-time series to Louisiana Tech.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On game one versus Tennessee State: "We had the big inning and got some stuff going and put some balls in play. Tennessee State gave us a couple of opportunities with some errors and we took advantage of those. I was happy to see Sam [Yarbrough] get a complete game in her first collegiate start. I'm glad we were able to give her some breathing room and let her settle in on the mound and get it done."
- On game two versus Louisiana Tech: "Alexis [Reid] pitched well enough to win. We're just trying to put some pieces together right now. We just have to have better at bats, have a better approach at the plate, and figure that out earlier in the count. We will get that part worked out; we have a team full of hitters. We have a lot of new people and a lot of new faces, so it takes a little while for that stuff to come together. We just have to keep patient, push the right buttons and keep working every day."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSout_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—