MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped a pair of games Friday during the opening day of the Mardi Gras Classic held a Jaguar Field. The Jags dell 6-1 to Jacksonville in the opener and then, 6-3 to Memphis in the nightcap.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (4-8) will continue play at the Mardi Gras Classic on Saturday with two more games, as the Jags are scheduled to face Stephen F. Austin at 2:30 p.m. and Memphis at 4:45 p.m.

Date: 2/21
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Game 1
Final Score: Jacksonville 6, South Alabama 1
Records: Jacksonville (9-4), South Alabama (4-7)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- MC Nichols, Allie Hughen and Abby Krzwiecki each recorded a hit, while the latter drove in a run and walked once.
- Kelsie Rivers pitched four innings of relief, allowing just three hits and an unearned run.
- Hannah Roberts was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and a home run, while driving in four.
- JU starting pitcher Alyssa Bilodeau improved to 5-2 with the win as she tossed a complete game. In her seven innings of work, where she struck out 11, allowed three hits and one run.

GAME FACTS
- JU loaded the base with one out in the top of the third after a pair of singles and a hit batter. Hardy then walked Cross on four-straight pitches to plate Quinata, who led off the inning with a single back up the middle. One batter later, Roberts drove a 3-2 offering by Hardy over the wall in left for a grand slam, extending the Dolphin lead to 5-0.
- Hodskins began the JU fourth with a single through the left side of the infield. Quinata then walked to put a pair on for the Dolphins. With Jacksonville, attempting to move the runners over after a Jaguar pitching change, Abby Krzwyiecki made a nice defensive play to get the lead runner at third. Rivers then retired the next two batters to get out of the inning and keep JU from adding to its lead.
- Bilodeau held the Jags hitless through first four-and-a-third, but Hughen broke up the no-hit bid with a triple of the wall in left and Krzywiecki then plated the first run of the game for South as she lined a single to right (5-1). Bilodeau though recorded her eighth and ninth strikeouts of the evening to end the inning.
- The Jaguars placed another runner in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth as M. Nichols singled and moved to second on a throwing error, but she was only able to get to third where she was left stranded.
- Jacksonville added an unearned run in its half of the seventh. Roberts recorded her fourth hit of the night as she laced a ball down the leftfield line with two outs. South looked as if it was going to get out of the inning unscathed, but O'Neal's fly ball to left was dropped, allowing JU pinch runner Cambria Arturo to score and extend the lead to 6-1.
- Bilodeau closed out the contest strong, striking out two of the three Jag batters that she faced, giving her 11 for the night.

NOTES
- The start behind the plate marked the first career start for freshman Kassidy Wilcox.
- Bilodeau struck out the side in the bottom of the first and seven of the first nine batters that she faced. Of her seven strikeouts, five were swinging.   
- Roberts' third-inning grand slam was the first allowed by Jaguar pitching since Coastal Carolina's Stavi Augur did so on April 7, 2019.
- M. Nichols reached base safely streak extended to a team-best eight games, while she also extended her hit streak to five games.
- Hughen also extended her hit streak to five games with her triple and her reached-base safe streak to seven games.
- The triple by Hughen was South's fifth of the season.

Game 2
Final Score: Memphis 6, South Alabama 3
Records: Memphis (6-6), South Alabama (4-8)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Three Jaguars recorded multi-hit outings against Memphis. Mackenzie Brasher and Gruich were both 2-for-4 at the plate, while Krzywiecki reached base three times with a pair of hits and a walk.
- MC Nichols, Braher and Kamdyn Kvistad were also responsible for all three Jaguar runs driven in in the loss.
- Rivers and Lexi Hutchins combined to pitch three innings of scoreless relief as they scattered four hits. Hutchins also struck out three.
- Freshman Emma Kropp also walked twice and scored a run in her first collegiate start behind the plate.
- Sam Ibison and Delaney Smith were both 2-for-4 at the plate with the former scoring a pair of runs and walking once while the latter scored a run.
- Gracie Morton was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. She also had a pair of doubles in the contest.
- Chyanne Ellet picked up her first save of the season after pitching three scoreless innings and striking out six.

GAME FACTS
- Memphis jumped on the board first with a pair of runs in the opening frame. Ibison reached on an infield single to start the game and then was sacrificed over before coming around to score on Morton's double to left (1-0). The Tigers loaded the bases later in the inning and then added another run when Sara Ann Davidson drew a walk to bring in Morton and make it 2-0.
- South got a run back in the bottom of the opening frame. MC Nichols lined a triple to the gap in right center and then came in on Kvistad's one-out single through the right side of the infield (2-1).
- The Jags added on two more and took their first lead of the night their next time up. South loaded the bases with one out after a pair of singles and a walk to Kropp. MC Nichols was then hit by a pitch to bring home the tying run (Krzywiecki) and Brasher followed with an infield single to score Kropp and make it 3-2 in favor of the Jaguars.
- Memphis loaded the bases for the second time in the top of the third after a leadoff single by Morton, a fielder's choice and a walk. Lee then drew the Tigers' second bases-loaded walk of the night to tie the game back up at 3-3.
- The Tigers retook the lead with three runs in their half of the fourth. Ibison walked for the second time to start the frame and Smith singled. Morton then delivered her third hit of the night – second double – with a liner to left, plating a pair of runs (5-3). Morton moved up a base on a passed ball and then came home on Davidson's sacrifice fly to left (6-3).
- The Jags threatened to do some two-out damage in the bottom of the fourth. MC Nichols reached for the third time in as many plate appearances with a two-out walk in the fourth and Brasher then singled and advanced on the throw to put runners at second and third, but Mariah Nichols was able to induce a ground out to end the inning.
- Memphis loaded the bases for the third time with one out, but Kelsie Rivers was able to get a pop out on the infield and a fly out to center to hold the Tigers off the scoreboard.
- South Alabama quickly put runners in scoring position to start the fifth. Gruich lined a long single off the base of the wall in left and Krzywiecki then walked to put runners on at first and second, but Tiger reliever Ellett retired the next three Jag batters, the final two coming on a pair of strikeouts.
- The Jaguars brought the winning runs to the plate as they loaded the bases the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but Ellett was able to get out of the jam with a game-ending strikeout, the 10th of the night for the Tigers.

NOTES
- Camryn McLemore (shortstop) and Kropp (catcher) both made their first collegiate starts against Memphis.
- The top of the Tiger lineup combined to record seven of Memphis' 10 hits and scored all six runs.
- M. Nichols extended both her hit (6) and reached base safely (9) streaks against Memphis.
- The multi-hit game was the second of the season for Brasher.
- The multi-hit game was the 13th of Gruich's career, while the two-hit performance marked the eighth multi-hit game for Krzywiecki.
- South left seven runners on base over the last four innings of the game, and placed the leadoff batter on base over the final three.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the Memphis game:
"Unfortunately, we couldn't get the big hit tonight when we needed it. We had opportunities but we weren't able to push the runs across. That is something we will keep working on. We get to come back tomorrow and get better."

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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