BOONE, N.C. – The University of South Alabama softball team fell 5-1 to Appalachian State in game one of the Sun Belt Conference series Friday at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
UP NEXT
- South Alabama (11-18, 1-9 SBC) will return for game two of the Sun Belt series versus App State on Saturday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. (CT).
Date: 3/29
Place: Sywassink / Lloyd Family Stadium (Boone, N.C.)
Final Score: Appalachian State 5, South Alabama 1
Records: Appalachian State (22-8, 9-1 SBC), South Alabama (11-19, 1-9 SBC)
Box Score
KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- Appalachian State took the lead for good when Ally Walter's homered over the wall in left center on the first pitch she saw of her second-inning at-bat and the Mountaineers never trailed from that point on.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Brittani Reid had one of South's four hits – her fifth home run of the season – and scored the lone run for the Jaguars.
- Katelyn Gruich, Kennedy Cronan and Savanna Mayo (double) registered the three other hits for the Jags.
- Walters was 2-for-3 for App State with two runs scored and two RBI.
- Kenzie Longanecker (13-1) went the distance allowing just the one run on four hits, while striking out three.
GAME FACTS
- App State took the early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Sidney Russell reached on a two-base error to begin the inning and later came around to score on Walters' two-run home run – her third of the season – off the scoreboard in left center.
- South cut the deficit in half the next half inning as B. Reid worked the count full and blasted her fifth home run of the season deep over the wall in left with two outs in the Jag third (2-1).
- Mayo's liner was just out of Mary Pierce Barnes' reach as it dropped just inside the foul line in, but Longanecker gets a fly out to left to end the top of the fifth inning and strand the Jag runner.
- The Mountaineers took advantage their next time up and got a run back. Walters recorded her second hit of the contest as she lined a single to left to begin the home half of the fifth. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, App put runners at the corners on Walker's single off A. Reid's leg. One batter later, the Mountaineers extended their lead back out to two on Jenny Dodd's RBI ground out. Walters delayed coming home and just barely beat the throw home from Jag first baseman Abby Krzywiecki to make it 3-1.
- Appalachian State loaded the bases with no outs to begin the bottom of the sixth on a pair of hits and a walk to Russell. Walters then bounced a ball back up the middle that was fielded by A. Reid who came home with it, but the throw was high allowing two unearned runs to score (5-1).
NOTES
- Friday night's meeting marked the 13th in the all-time series and the seventh on the Mountaineers home field.
- The win was the second-straight in the series for Appalachian State and the first by the Mountaineers on their home field in seven tries.
- With her two-out home in the third, B. Reid now has 15 for her career and 13 as a Jaguar moving her into eighth-place alone in program history.
- The home run marked the 20th game this season that South Alabama has recorded at least one home run this spring.
- It was also the program's 28th of the season, tying the 2009 club for eighth-most.
- B. Reid's home run was the 14th solo home run of the season and the 16th during the month of March, and the ninth coming with two outs in an inning. Of B Reid's 15 career home runs, seven have come with two outs.
- Megan Harris had her seven-game hit streak come to an end against the Mountaineers.
- South Alabama only had the lead off runner reach one time in the loss, while App State did so three times. The Mountaineers scored in all three of those innings.
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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