MONROE, La. – South Alabama jumped out to a seven-run advantage after two complete, but ULM used an eight-run sixth inning to rally back and take game one of the Sun Belt Conference series as the Warhawks defeated the Jaguars 16-11 at the ULM Softball Complex.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (14-27, 4-16 SBC) will close out the series with a pair of games Saturday with first pitch for the two contests is set for noon and 2 p.m., respectively.

Date: 4/19
Place: ULM Softball Complex (Monroe, La.)

Final Score: ULM 16, South Alabama 11
Records: ULM (8-35, 4-15 SBC), South Alabama (14-27, 4-16 SBC)

Box Score

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- Trailing by three runs entering the bottom half of the sixth inning, ULM scored eight runs on one hit, five walks and four hit batters to go out in front and take the series opener.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Lyric Cabral was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, while Brittani Reid, Victoria Ortiz and Kamdyn Kvistad also had two hits each.
- Ortiz had a double and a home run, and scored twice and drove in a pair while recording her 11th multi-hit and fourth multi-RBI outing of the season.
- Kvistad drove in three, posted her 20th multi-hit game of her career and her 11th multi-RBI game.  
- With her two hits, B. Reid moved into a tie with Julie Moss for 17th in career multi-hit games as she now has 26 for her career.
- MC Nichols also drove in two runs for her 18th career multi-hit outing.
- ULM was led by Brie Wrobel and Kennedy Page who each had two hits for the Warhawks.
- Wrobel scored twice and drove in a pair. Jessie Watts plated two, scored a run and pitched six innings of relief en route to picking up her first win of the season.
- Bailey Thibodaux drove in two, while Megan Shaw walked twice and scored three runs.

GAME FACTS
- Ortiz lined a one-out double to right in the top of the first, but the Jaguar freshman was stranded at third after a pair of ground outs.
- ULM had a scoring opportunity of its own, placing a pair on after a one-out double by Korie Kreps and a full-count walk to Jayden Mount, but Katelyn Gruich was able to turn a double play to end the inning.
- The next half inning, Gruich ignited a seven-run second inning for the Jaguars as she led the frame off with her sixth home run of the season as she drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in center. After a single and a double by Abby Krzywiecki and Cabral, Megan Harris continued her solid hitting as she bounced a ball back up the middle to plate a run with a single. M. Nichols then scored a pair as she lined a triple to the gap in left center. The junior outfielder came home one batter later on a RBI double by B. Reid to make it 5-0. Ortiz then recorded her second extra-base hit of the contests and South's fifth of the inning as she blasted a two-run shot over the wall in center extending the Jaguar advantage to 7-0.
- ULM cut into the Jaguar lead with five runs – all unearned – on three hits and a pair of South Alabama errors. After loading the bases on a pair of walks and an error at second on a fielder's choice, Mount plated the first run of the inning with a RBI fielder's choice (7-1). Wroble (single) and Watts (double) each drove in a run to make it 7-3. ULM then loaded the bases with a hit batter and scored two more runs on a RBI single by Page and South's second error of the inning.
- South Alabama answered back with a pair of big two-out runs in the top of the fourth. Kennedy Cronan delivered her 12th two-out hit of the season and recorded her 11th RBI with two outs in an inning as she lined a double to left to score Ortiz (8-5) from second who had reached on a fielder's choice and then moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Kvistad followed with a hot-shot single through the left side of the infield to bring around Cronan and make it 9-5.
- The Warhawks had another runner in scoring position after a two-out error – South's third of the game – and then a single put runners at first and second, but A. Reid was able to get a ground out to first to end the inning.
- ULM loaded the bases to start the fifth on a walk, a single and a hit batter and plated the first run of the inning as Jaclyn Kresta earned a free pass. Page then scored on a wild pitch and Sydney McKay cut the deficit to 9-8 with a sacrifice fly to center. After a wild pitch moved the tying run to third, Samantha Yarbrough (2-9) was able to get Kreps and Mount to strikeout swinging to get out of the inning.
- The Jaguars got two runs back in the top of the sixth with a pair of two-out RBI. Cronan walked on four straight and Kvistad then drilled her seventh home run of the season over the wall in center to extend South's lead to 11-8.
- The Warhawks benefited from Jaguar free passes and used a big sixth inning to take the lead for good, scoring eight runs on one hit, while South's pitching staff issued five walks and hit four batters in the inning. Four of ULM's first five runs came when South walked three batters and hit one with the bases loaded. After a wild pitch scored another run, the Warhawks again loaded the bases after Mount was hit by a pitch. Wroble was then hit by another pitch to score a run and Watts walked to give ULM a 14-11 advantage. Thibodeaux then singled to center to plate two and give the Warhawks the five-run advantage.

NOTES
- Friday's meeting marked the 42nd in the all-time series between South Alabama and ULM and the 21st in Monroe.
- Ortiz's double in the second inning was her 12th of the season, which ranks as second most in a single season by Jaguar freshman.
- The second-inning triple by M. Nichols was just the third by South this season and the first for the club since the opening weekend of the season when USA did so on Feb. 10 against Western Kentucky at the Sand Dollar Classic.
- With the three home runs in the series opener, South Alabama has now hit 42 this season and of those, 21 have been solo shots with 10 leading off an inning.
- The leadoff home run by Gruich to start the second inning was the third time she has homered to begin an inning this season and the 11th of her career.
- South has recorded games of two or more home runs nine times this season, including four games with two or more. In their last two games, the Jaguars have hit seven home runs as they had four against Georgia State.
- With the two home runs recorded by the Jaguars in the second inning marked the second-straight game South has hit multiple home runs in the same inning as the Jags also hit a pair in the seventh inning of game three of the series at Georgia State. Ortiz also had a home run in that inning.
- The seven-run second also marked back-to-back games in which South has scored six or more runs in an inning and the third time in its last four.
- South has also now scored five or more runs in an inning 11 times this spring.
- ULM used three pitchers in the second inning, while South used four pitchers during the bottom of the sixth.
- The two-run home run for Kvistad marked the 15th of her career, which ranks as eighth most all-time by a South Alabama player.
- South Alabama issued 10 walks and hit six batters in the game.
- Every starter for South Alabama finished with at least one hit for second game in a row.
- The seven-run deficit is the largest deficit ever overcome by a Jaguar opponent and marked the second time this season an opponent has overcome a deficit of six or more runs (UTA – 3/8/19).
- The eight runs scored by ULM in the bottom of the sixth are tied for the third-most runs allowed by South against an opponent and the most since giving up eight to Louisiana on March 13, 2016 in the sixth inning of that contest.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game: "Great offensive night; I thought we had some great at-bats and squared a lot of balls up. We have to do a better job on the mound tomorrow, clean up the defensive piece of it and keep having the quality at-bats that we are having."

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—