MOBILE, Ala. – Freshman pitcher Samantha Yarbrough tossed a one-hitter and South Alabama used a four-run first as the Jaguars picked up a 5-2 Senior Day victory over Georgia Southern at Jaguar Field in the regular-season home finale to take the Sun Belt Conference series over the Eagles.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (18-29, 7-18) will play its final Sun Belt Conference series of the season as the Jaguars travel to Troy for a two-game set versus the Trojans. South will open the series versus the Trojans on Friday, (May 3) with first pitch set for 6 p.m. at the Troy Softball Complex. Game two is set for Saturday (May 4) at 2 p.m.

Date: 4/28
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: South Alabama 5, Georgia Southern 2
Records: South Alabama (18-29, 7-18 SBC), Georgia Southern (20-27, 6-17 SBC)

Box Score
Photo Gallery

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- South Alabama wasted little time taking control as the Jaguars erupted for four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Victoria Ortiz went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and a RBI, while Abby Krzywiecki also added a pair of hits, including a double – stole a base and drove in a run in the victory.
- Kamdyn Kvisad and Taylor Stevens also chipped in with a hit and a RBI, while the latter scored once.
- Samantha Yarbrough (6-9) recorded her fifth complete game of the season and won her third-straight start. In her seven innings of work, Yarbrough allowed two runs on one hit, scattered four walks and struck out six.
- Macy Coleman went 1-for-2 with a home run, and drove in both runs for the Eagles.
- Jodie Handler tossed five-and-two-thirds of effective relief for Georgia Southern as she struck out seven and scattered five hits, allowing just one run.

GAME FACTS
- After retiring the Eagles in order in the top half of the first, the Jaguars batted around sending 11 to the plate, and scoring four runs on five hits. Ortiz and Kennedy Cronan extended their hit streaks in the bottom of the first with back-to-back one-out singles, and Kvistad then doubled to the gap in left center to bring in the first run of the game for South, scoring Ortiz from second for her 28th RBI of the spring. Katelyn Gruich then earned a free pass on four-straight out of the zone to load the bases, and Krzywiecki plated the second run of the inning with a bloop single that dropped in shallow center just behind the bag at second.  Stevens followed with a RBI fielder's choice to make it 3-0 in favor of the Jaguars, and Savanna Mayo – also playing her final home game – drilled a single through the left side of the infield for the fourth run of the inning. GS starter Ashleigh Morton (7-7) was removed after just a third of an inning of work, and Handler retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.
- Coleman led off the third with her sixth home run of the season as she worked the count full before driving the ball over the wall in left to cut the Jaguar lead to 4-1. The home run by Coleman was the first hit allowed by Yarbrough.
- The Jaguars got the run back as they loaded the bases with one out in their half of the third after singles by Harris and Stevens and a five-pitch walk to Brittani Reid. Stevens scored one batter later (5-1) on Ortiz's liner to center – the freshman's 14th multi-hit game of the season. Handler limited the damage as she struck out the next two with the bases still loaded to end the inning.
- The Eagles again cut the deficit to three (5-2) without the benefit of a hit in the fourth. Georgia Southern loaded the bases with one out in the fourth after Faith Shirley and Jess Mazur were both hit by pitch with a walk to Shelby Wilson sandwiched between the two batters. Coleman then was hit by a pitch – the third of the inning – on a 0-2 count, scoring pinch runner Ashlynn Gunter. Yarbrough though was able to get Shayla Smith looking and Logan Harrell to fly out to right to get out of the jam.
- Georgia Southern brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh after a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Macy Weeks and a two-out walk to Mekhia Freeman, but Yarbrough was able to get Farrell – who entered the weekend ranked third in the Sun Belt in hitting – to foul out to Gruich at third and seal the win for the Jaguars.

NOTES
- Prior to the game, South Alabama honored its five seniors – Dayla Gulledge (Dothan, Ala.), Megan Harris (Whitehouse, Texas), Mayo (Little Rock, Ark.), Alexis Reid (Kansas City, Mo.) and Stevens (Bay Minette, Ala.).
- With graduation ceremonies scheduled for next Saturday and the Jags in Troy, Ala., next weekend for the final weekend of the regular season, the five seniors were also awarded ceremonial degrees on the field.
- The series finale versus Georgia Southern also marked the 700th game in program history.
- The series win marks the second of the season for South Alabama.
- The meeting was also the 16th in the all-time series. USA now holds a 12-4 advantage in those meetings, including a 8-1 mark at Jaguar Field.
- While B. Reid saw her nine-game hit streak and doubles streak (6) come to an end, the junior outfielder did extend her on-base streak to 10 games as she walked in the third inning.
- The eight-game hit streaks by Ortiz and Cronan are both career longs for the freshmen duo.
- With her first-inning double, Kvistad extended her reached base safely streak to 11 games, which tied a career high for the sophomore.
- The 14 multi-hit games this season by Ortiz are tied with four other players for 20th-most in a season at USA. The 14 multi-hit games are also tied for third-most by a Jaguar freshman and just two shy of Katie McGuire's freshman mark of 16 set during the program's inaugural season.
- With the Senior Day victory, the Jaguars have now won 15 of the last 17 games played on the final regular-season game at Jaguar Field, including eight straight. Overall, USA holds a 15-6 record in games played on Senior Day and are now 3-0 against Georgia Southern to close out on the final home date.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On getting the early run support: "I thought today was all about grit. To be able to get the runs early and have the big inning was huge, and is something we are always working for. We know that if we can have at least one big inning, hopefully two, then we have a really good shot to win the game. We were able to get the early runs and kept the pressure on. We had some places where we could've broke it open, but we just couldn't get the big hit."
- On Samantha Yarbrough in the circle: "The grit that Sam [Yarbrough] showed on the mound today was key. She gave up the one hit, but she had some places where she issued some walks or had some hit batters, but she kept working through it. As a coach, you are sitting there wondering if she was okay to stay out there, but she had only given up the one hit. I felt confident that she would be able to grit it out and finish, and I thought that was the difference today."
- On using this series heading into the final weekend: "Today was a big win for us, because it shows us that even when we aren't getting the big hit, we are capable of gritting it out, and that we can still get the job done. That's something that we've been working toward. I'm proud of Sam and the way she pitched, proud of our offense for getting us the big inning, and overall I'm just happy. It's Senior Day and a great day to celebrate them and everything they've done and invested into our program. I just hope that all our fans understand what these young ladies have done for our program. Wins on Senior Day are twice as nice."

Sr., C, Taylor Stevens
- On the way the team played on Senior Day: "Today meant a lot to us. It's no secret that we've had a rough time trying to get back on our feet, and for us to come out as a team today and come together and take this series for our seniors and ourselves is amazing. I can't wait to see us build on this weekend and see what we do next weekend."
- On building momentum: "I definitely feel like we have something to build on and just lite a spark in our hearts. At the end of the day, I believe that hard work beats talent and when we come together as a team, we are a hard group to stop."

Fr., RHP, Samantha Yarbrough
- On her performance in the circle: "I just went out there and felt confident since I had pitched well against Georgia Southern this weekend. I didn't want to try to change anything and I was able to go all out every pitch and trusted myself."
- On using this series win heading into the final weekend of the regular season: "I feel that this series changed our outlook on the remainder of the season. I know there isn't much of the season left, but we are getting close to the postseason and that's the time we need to figure things out. I feel like we are coming together as a team and having fun together. We are letting it loose, playing with freedom and having fun."

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).

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