TROY, Ala. – For the second time in as many games, South Alabama suffered a heartbreaking loss as Troy defeated the Jaguars with a 4-3 walk-off single by Madeline Porter Saturday afternoon at the Troy Softball Complex. With the loss, South Alabama (18-31, 7-20 SBC) sees its 2019 season come to an end as the Jags were unable to reach postseason play.
Date: 5/4
Place: Troy Softball Complex (Troy, Ala.)
Final Score: Troy 4, South Alabama 3
Records: Troy (37-18, 19-8 SBC), South Alabama (18-31, 7-20 SBC)
Box Score
KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- With a runner at second and two outs in the inning, Porter lined a single back up the middle to drive in the game-winning run as Hope Hernandez scored from second to give the Trojans the win.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- South Alabama was paced at the plate Kennedy Cronan who recorded her 11th home run of the season and finished the game with two RBI.
- Brittani Reid also had a hit and scored a run in her four at-bats, while senior second baseman Savanna Mayo also had a hit and a RBI.
- Katie Webb led the Trojans as she was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
- Porter had just one hit, but made it count as she plated the game-winning run with her walk-off single.
- Annie Willis (9-10) was outstanding in relief for the Trojans as she allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out four in her 3.2 innings of work in the circle.
GAME FACTS
- South Alabama jumped out in front (2-0) with one out in the opening frame as Cronan blasted her 11th home run of the spring, scoring B. Reid who led off the game with a single back up the middle.
- The Jaguars had a chance to extend their lead as they loaded the bases with nobody out. Megan Harris reached on a bloop single in shallow left and B. Reid then drew a walk. Victoria Ortiz got down 0-2 early in the count but battled back to work the count full before being hit by a pitch to put a runner at every base. Troy starting pitcher Claire Graves was able to prevent South from adding to its lead, the senior was able to get Cronan swinging and a ground-ball double play to end the inning.
- Troy capitalized on the missed scoring opportunity the next half inning as the Trojans took the lead with three runs on two hits
Taylor Corbett began the inning with a single to left center, and with two away, Talia Truitt and Porter both walked to load the bases. Webb then followed with a bases-clearing double to the gap in left center, giving Troy the 3-2 lead.
- South tied the game back up its next time at the plate. Abby Krzywiecki lined a one-out double down the right field line and Lyric Cabral then went the opposite way with a single to ring to put runners at the corners. Mayo then tied the game back up at 3-3 when she singled through the left side of the infield. With runners at first and second and one out, but Willis entered in relief and was able to retire the next two batters.
- Willis would go on to retire the first nine batters that she faced until the seventh when the Jags tried to work a little two-out magic. Harris drew a full-count walk and Ortiz lined a single to left to extend her hit streak to 10 games. Willis though was able to get a pop out one batter later to end the threat.
- Hernandez led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single and then was moved into scoring position on pinch hitter Kelly Horne's sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Porter lined a single back to center and Hernandez beat the throw home to give the Trojans the one-run victory.
NOTES
- The start in the circle marked the 100th of Alexis Reid's career and her 53rd in a Jaguar uniform.
- B. Reid extended her on-base streak to 11 games with her single to lead off the game.
- The 11 home runs by Cronan are tied with Christin Crocker (2011) and Haley Fagan (2013) for second-most in a season by a Jaguar, while also matching Fagan's freshman mark.
- The home run by Cronan was the 53rd of the season for South Alabama and the 18th two-run shot by a player this spring.
- Of South's 53 homers this season, 33 have come against league competition.
- Cronan is one of five players to register 10 or more home runs in a single season at South.
- The 38 RBI by Cronan are also second-most by a freshman at South Alabama.
- The 60 hits recorded this season by B. Reid are now third-most by a junior in program history.
- The RBI single by Mayo in the top of the fourth marked the first time in the series in which a run scored by the Jaguars didn't come on a two-run home run. Each of the first eight runs by South in the series all came as a result of two-run home runs.
- All four of Troy's runs came with two outs.
- Each of the last five games in the series versus the Trojans has been decided by one run.
- Troy's Webb was 5-for-6 with three walks and four RBI this weekend against the Jaguars.
- Sunday's series finale marked the final collegiate game for five Jaguar seniors – Mayo, A. Reid, Harris, Taylor Stevens and Dayla Gulledge.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game and the seniors: "Today was a hard-fought game that didn't go our way. I appreciate all the hard work of all of our student-athletes because they work incredibly hard, so I hated to see [the season] end the way it did for them. I really appreciate the contributions and leadership that the senior class provided. I'm thankful for all they've done and invested into our program. I feel like we have the pieces in place to be back where we need to be next year."
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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