MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama held a two-run lead entering the top of the sixth, but Texas State scored six runs in the frame to rally back and defeat the Jaguars 9-6 in the series opener at Jaguar Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (9-14, 0-4 SBC) and Texas State (10-14, 1-3 SBC) will return to action on Saturday for game two of the series with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

Date: 3/15
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: Texas State 9, South Alabama 6
Records: Texas State (10-14, 1-3 SBC), South Alabama (9-15, 0-4 SBC)

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- Texas State sent 13 batters to the plate in the sixth inning and scored six runs on five hits to turn a two-run deficit into a four-run advantage and take the lead for good.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Brittani Reid went 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a RBI, while Abby Krzywiecki also had three hits in all three of her at-bats with a walk.
- Freshman right fielder Victoria Ortiz had a hit, walked twice and scored two runs. Kamdyn Kvistad and Taylor Stevens were each 2-for-4 at the plate, while Kvistad scored a run and Stevens drove in a run.
- Texas State was led offensively by Samara Lagway who had a pair of hits, scored a run and drove in a pair. Bailee Carter walked and scored three times.
- Tara Oltmann and Haleigh Davis each had two RBI for the Bobcats.

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama got on the board first with two runs in the opening frame as they loaded the bases with one out after a walks by Krzywiecki put a Jag runner at every base. The first run came home on Katelyn Gruich's RBI fielder's choice scoring Ortiz from third. Kvistad also came around to score on the play when the ball got by Davis, the Bobcat catcher (2-0).
- Alexis Reid (6-9) looked as if she were going to work her second clean inning with two quick outs in the top of the second, but a pair of error and a hit batter led to an unearned run by Texas State. ArieAnn Bell's grounder to third went between Kvistad's legs and rolled into left allowing the inning to stay alive. Kennedy Cline was then hit by a pitch one pitch later and the two Texas State base runners both moved into scoring position with a stolen base.  The inning again looked as if it were going to end with another ground ball, this one to short, but on the transfer Kennedy Cronan mishandled it, allowing Lagway to reach and Bell to score (2-1).
- The Jaguars tried to work some two-out magic in the bottom of the second placing runners at first and second after a single by B. Reid and a walk to Ortiz, but Bobcat starting pitcher Krista Jacobs (1-3) was able to get a strikeout swinging to end the inning.
- Texas State tied the game up (2-2) without the benefit of a hit as South Alabama's third defensive miscue of the contest led to another unearned run. Carter walked with one out after working the count full. Hailey MacKay then reached on a Jag fielding error to put runners at the corners. Texas State then executed a delayed double steal to knot the game up at two runs apiece as Carter scored from third.
- The Bobcats placed runners at second and third after a leadoff walk by Bell and a two-out single to right off the bat of Lagway, but A. Reid was able to work out of it as she retired the next two batters with a ground out to first and a strikeout looking of Christiana McDowell. McDowell entered the contest ranked second in the Sun Belt in batting, but was 0-for-5 at the plate.
- After escaping the jam in the top half of the inning, South Alabama was able to retake the lead in the bottom half of the frame. Megan Harris singled off Jacob's glove with two away and B. Reid then delivered her third hit and second double of the night, this one to center, scoring Harris from first (3-2).
- Carter walked for her second straight plate appearance to start the Bobcat fifth and then moved around to third on Oltmann's sacrifice bunt. MacKay then laid down a squeeze bunt to score Carter and tie the game up at 3-3.
- South answered right back in the home half of the fifth with a pair of runs to retake the lead. Krzywiecki doubled to the wall in right to begin the inning and advanced to third on a ground out. Cronan then walked to up runners at first and third, setting the table for Stevens' RBI double down the leftfield line to score MC Nichols, pinch-running for Krzywiecki, and make it 4-3. Jaguar pinch hitter Holly Stewart then dropped in a double in left to plate another run and extend the South advantage to (5-3) after Amanda Flynn (pinch runner) crossed the plate.
- After only recording one hit through the first five innings of play, the Bobcats sent 13 batters to the plate and put up six runs on five hits, loading the bases on two separate occasions in the sixth inning.  Bell singled to start the sixth and then moved to third when Cline doubled off the wall in left center one batter later. Lagway followed with a double of her own to score two and tie the game back up at 5-5.
- Jag reliever Samantha Yarbrough then issued a pair of walks to load the bases, and Oltmann lined Texas State's third double of the inning off the wall in left scoring two more runs to give the Bobcats their first lead of the contest (7-5). Two batters later, Davis registered Texas State's fourth extra-base hit of the frame tripling to right center and scoring two more runs to extend the Bobcat lead to 9-5.
- South got a run back (unearned) in the next half inning to pull within three (9-6). Ortiz reached base for the fourth time on a fielding error and Kvistad then singled to left to put a pair of for the Jags. Krzywiecki continued her impressive evening one batter later as she lined a single to center that was mishandled by McDowell in center, allowing Ortiz to race home. South had a chance to tack on more runs, but Jacobs was able to retire the next three batters and limit the Jaguars to the one run.

NOTES
- The meeting was the 14th in the all-time series between the two clubs and Texas State has now won the last 13 in the series.
- The loss was just the fourth Sun Belt home opener that the Jaguars have dropped and snapped a three-game win streak in that category.
- The six-game losing streak by the Jaguars is the first since the 2010 season.
- With her leadoff first-inning double, B. Reid extended her career-best hit streak to 12 games. She has now also reached base safely in her last 16 contests, which is one shy of moving her in the program's top 20 in that category.
- B. Reid's 12-game hit streak is now tied with former Jaguars Brittany Fowler (2011) and Chloe Rathburn (2015) for the seventh-longest in program history.
- With her three-hit performance, B. Reid extended her team-best multi-hit tally to nine games. It also marked the 21st of her career, moving her into a tie with Alex Breeden (2012-16) for 20th at South Alabama.
- The Kansas City, Mo., native also increased her double total to nine which is the most of any hitter in the Sun Belt.
- Kvistad also wasted little time extending her current hit streak (7) with her first-inning single. The multi-hit game was the 17th of Kvistad's career, moving her into 25th-place in that category.
- The first four runs scored in the game by the two clubs were all unearned.
- Each of Bobcat's first three runs came in innings that the visitors didn't record a hit.
- South Alabama bounded out a season-high 14 hits and five doubles in the loss.
- South used three pitchers during the top half of the sixth during the six-run frame. Four of Texas State's five hits during the six-run sixth went for extra bases.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On facing adversity: "It was a tough night for us. I think this is a time where we all need to stick together and battle through the adversity we are going through right now. We need to be 100 percent committed to each other as teammates and coaches together."
- On the offense in game one of the series: "I thought we did a good job offensively tonight. There were some places in there where you want to see a hit with runners in scoring position. Right now, we just have to stay balanced because there are times were we are pressing to come up with that big hit and it takes you out of your element. Right now, the game is challenging us and we have to make sure we stay in the middle and that we don't go too up or down."

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—