MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team scored three runs in the fifth to rally back and pick up a 3-1 victory over Texas State Saturday afternoon at Jaguar Field to even the series and give the Jags their first Sun Belt Conference win of the season.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (10-14, 1-4 SBC) will close out the Sun Belt Conference series versus Texas State (10-15, 1-4 SBC) with the rubber match on Sunday. First pitch versus the Bobcats is set for noon at Jaguar Field.

Date: 3/16
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

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

Box Score

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- With two runners on and one out in the bottom of the fifth, Kamdyn Kvistad went the opposite way as she lined a ball to right that carried over Texas State right fielder Kennedy Cline's which proved to be the eventual game-winning runs for the Jags.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Kvistad had the two Jag RBI in the victory as she recorded her third double of the season.
- Katelyn Gruich and Megan Harris were each 2-for-3 at the plate for South Alabama.
- Jag starter Alexis Reid (7-9) earned the complete-game victory as she allowed an unearned run around seven hits, while striking out four Texas State batters in her seven innings of work.
- Texas State had six player record a hit and were led by Haleigh Davis' 2-for-2 performance.
- Christiana McDowell had a bunt single and scored a run, while Hailey MacKay plated the lone Bobcat run.

GAME FACTS
- Texas State had a pair of runners in scoring position in the first after a single by Bailee Carter and a hit batter, and a double steal, but A. Reid held the Bobcats off the scoreboard as she got a strikeout looking and a strikeout swinging to end the opening frame.
- The Jaguars had a chance to get on the board in the second as they loaded the bases with two outs after a pair of singles and a Bobcat throwing error, but Dalilah Barrera (5-3) was able to get out of the jam with a fly out to center.
- Texas State got on the board first with an unearned run in the third. McDowell laid down a bunt single – her first hit of the series – to begin inning and then moved around to third base when she stole second and South's throw was in the dirt and got away from Jag second baseman Savanna Mayo allowing the center fielder to advance. With two outs, MacKay went the opposite way as she lined a 3-2 pitch through the right side of the infield, scoring McDowell from third (1-0).
- After being held to just two hits through the first four innings, South Alabama broke through in the bottom of the fifth plating three runs on four hits and a Bobcat error in the frame. Harris singled back up the middle to lead things off and two batters later Ortiz lined a single to right. The two Jag base runners then advanced a base on a wild pitch. Kvistad then drove a 1-1 pitch over Cline's head in right bringing around Harris and MC Nichols, who was pinch-running for Ortiz, to give South the 2-1 advantage. Pinch hitter Holly Stewart then gave the Jags their third run of the inning as she reached on a Bobcat throwing error, which allowed Caroline Nichols (pinch runner) to score from second and extend South's lead to 3-1.
- The Bobcats had a scoring opportunity with runners at first and second and only one out in the inning the next half inning, but pinch runner Mari Cranek was thrown out at third trying to steal and A. Reid then got Cline to fly out to center to end the frame.
- Texas State brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh as McDowell walked with one out, but A. Reid struck out Carter swinging and then induced a ground out to short to end the contest.

NOTES
- The meeting was the 15th in the all-time series between the two clubs and the Jag victory snapped Texas State's 13-game series win streak.
- The win was South Alabama's first in the series since taking game one of the series (8-0) on April 5, 2014 in San Marcos, Texas.
- The win also ended a six-game skid for the Jaguars this season.
- With her leadoff walk to start the bottom of the first, Brittani Reid reached base safely for the 17th-straight game, matching a career best and tying her for 16th-longest streak in that category in program history.
- B. Reid did have her 12-game hit streak come to an end as she was 0-for-3 at the plate.
- With her RBI double, Kvistad extended her career-best hit streak to eight games.
- Saturday also marked the first time since the opening weekend that South Alabama has gone consecutive games without a home run as the Jaguars didn't record one on Friday in the series opener.
- With her two hits, Harris registered the 15th multi-hit game of her career and the second of the season for the senior.
- The multi-hit outing by Gruich also marked her sixth of 2019, while it was the ninth multi-RBI game of the year for Kvistad.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the win and the pitching of Alexis Reid: "I thought today was a great team win. I'm super proud of [Alexis Reid]. There were several places in there where she could've given in, but she didn't. She battled through it. There were places in there where we might have made a mistake, or given up a walk, but we didn't give in. Lex has been battling and fighting it because she wants to lead the way, and I thought that she did that today. It was a great outing for her."
- On getting the big hit in the fifth inning: "We got the big hit when we needed it today. You don't have to hit the entire game; you just have to be able to come up with the hits when you need them, and we did that today. We were able to play defense and pitch after that and make it hold up."
- On the keys for this team to be successful:  "Like I've said before, we have to pitch, we have to throw strikes and manage the strike zone, play defense and have timely hitting. You don't have to get a hit every time you go to the plate, but timely hitting is key. After that it's just being aggressive running the bases and mental toughness."
- On Sunday's series finale: "I'm looking forward to us coming out tomorrow and playing as a team. I challenged them with that last night and told them that this is a time were we really need to stand together because we're going through some adversity right now. That's the time where you have to really be a team, and I thought we really did that today. It wasn't the cleanest of games, but we made it stick and we did it together. I'm proud of them for that."

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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