MOBILE, Ala. – Defensive miscues and missed opportunities with runners on base proved costly as the University of South Alabama fell in both its games Saturday to Stephen F. Austin, 7-4 and to Memphis, 7-4 on day two of the Mardi Gras Classic held at Jaguar Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (4-10) will close out the Mardi Gras Classic on Sunday when the Jags take on Stephen F. Austin at 12:15 p.m.

Date: 2/22
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Game 1
Final Score: Stephen F. Austin 7, South Alabama 4
Records: Stephen F. Austin 9-4, South Alabama 4-9

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Katelyn Gruich had a three-run home run and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to tie a career high with four RBI.
- MC Nichols walked and scored a run, while Mackenzie Brasher reached base three times with a hit and two walks, while also scoring a run.
- Lexi Hutchins and Kelsie Rivers pitched a combined 3.1 innings of scoreless relief allowing just two hits and a walk.
- Alex Hedspeth was 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs, while Madison Clements and Shaylon Govan had a pair of hits as well with the latter driving in five.
- Kassidy Wilbur (3-2) tossed seven innings of relief allowing just one hit and striking out eight. She also walked five.

GAME FACTS
- Stephen F. Austin took the early lead with three runs in its half of the first, with two of those runs unearned. Hedspeth led off the inning with a base hit and Bryana Novegil reached on a Jag error while attempting to sacrifice the runner over. With runners at second and third, Govan singled through the right side to score a pair. Three batters later, the Ladyjacks added another run on a RBI groundout to second to score Govan and make It 3-0 Ladyjacks.
- South Alabama answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a three spot of its own. MC Nichols walked to start the inning and Brasher put runners at the corners after a base-hit and a SFA throwing error. Gruich then drove a ball deep over the wall in center to tie the game up (3-3). Wilbur entered in relief after Ladyjack starter Jordan Llinas issued a walk to Kamdyn Kvistad and the sophomore right-hander struck out the next three Jaguar batters.
- The Ladyjacks retook the lead in the fourth with four unearned runs. With runners at the corners with one away, Crawford scored on a fielder's choice and three more then came home on Goven's home run to left center (7-3). South committed two errors in the inning leading to the four runs.
- After retiring 11 of the first 12 batters she faced, Wilbur ran into her first bit of trouble in the bottom of the fourth, issuing a pair of two-out walks to Wilcox and Flynn, but she would get a bouncer back to the circle and throw on to first for the out to end the inning.
- Stephen F. Austin threatened to do more damage in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with one out, but Hutchins entered in relief and got a strikeout looking and Gaby Garcia to ground out to third and work out of the jam.
- Amanda Flynn led off the seventh with a single to left – the first hit allowed by Wilbur and South's first since the first inning. After a fly out, Brasher walked. Gruich then lifted a ball to center which was deep enough to score Flynn (7-4). With the tying run at the plate, that would be all South would be able to get as Wilburn struck out Kvistad to end the game.

NOTES
- The three-run home run by Gruich marked the 16th of her career, tying her with Kamdyn Kvistad for eighth on the program's all-time list.
- MC Nichols extended her reached base safely streak to 10 games with her walk in the first, but she was held hitless snapping her six-game hit streak
- Wilbur retired the first eight batters she faced in relief, striking out five during that span.
- The four runs driven in tied a career high for Gruich and marked the third time she has done so in her career. 4/11/18 versus Southern

Game 2
Final Score: Memphis 7, South Alabama 4
Records: Memphis (7-7), South Alabama (4-10)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- MC Nichols, Brasher, Kvistad and Cronan all had a pair of hits in their four at-bats in the loss.
- MC Nichols, and Brasher also scored a run, while the former stole her fifth base of the season.
- Gruich and Hughen also reached base twice with a hit and a walk each. Gruich drove in a pair of runs as well in the game.
- Memphis had five players end the night with two hits apiece – Sam Ibison, Delaney Smith, Gracie Morton, Brandy Rowland and Meagan Chism.
- Ibison and Chism also scored twice, while Morton drove in a pair.

GAME FACTS
- Memphis took the lead in the opening frame with an unearned run. D. Smith and Morton singled to put runners at the corners. Rowland then registered Memphis' third single of the inning and D. Smith scored when the ball got away from Kennedy Cronan and rolled into foul ground. (1-0).
- The Jaguars tied the game back up in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out run. M. Nichols walked to begin the inning and Brasher then reached on an infield single. Chyanne Ellett struck out the next two batters for South, but Cronan delivered the big hit of the inning with a shot back up the middle to score M. Nichols from second (1-1).
- A pair of defensive miscues by the Jags in the second led to two more unearned runs. Lee reached on a three-base error to start the second and then came in one batter later when Chism lined a double to center that rolled to the wall. (2-1). Alyssa Dean then reached on a fielding error and scored on D. Smith's RBI single (3-1).
- Memphis loaded the bases to start the fourth and retook to the lead with three runs on five hits in the inning. D. Smith plated the first run with a sacrifice fly to center. Morton then drove in a pair with a two-run single to right stretching the Tiger lead to 6-3.
- South Alabama loaded the bases with two away in the bottom half of the fourth after a Memphis error, a base hit by MC Nichols and a four-pitch walk to Gruich, but Tiger reliever Karli Perque (1-2) was able to get a fly out to left to end the threat and maintain the three-run Tiger lead.
- The Jaguars were able to cut the deficit by one (6-4) their next time up at the plate as Hughen scored from second on Flynn's RBI single to left.
- Memphis got the run back the next half inning as B. Smith doubled to left center, scoring Ibison (7-4) who had led the inning off with an infield single, her second hit of the game.
- South brought the tying run to the plate with one away after a pair of infield singles to Brasher and Kvistad, but Mariah Nichols was able to get a pop out to second and a strikeout swinging to escape the threat.

NOTES
- Saturday marked the first career start in the circle for Hutchins as her first eight appearances came in relief.
- The No 1-4 spots in the Memphis lineup combined to record eight of the Tigers' 12 hits.
- M. Nichols extended her reached base safely streak to 11 as she walked in the first inning for the second straight game.
- Brasher also extended her reached base safely streak to double figures as she has now reached safely each of her last 10 games.
- Like Friday night's meeting versus the Tigers, South had chances to add on more runs as the Jags left 12 runners on base and were 4-for-15 (.267) with runners in scoring position.
- Of the 12 runners left on base, eight came over the final four innings.
- The multi-hit and the multi-RBI game for Gruich was the 14th of her career in each category, moving her into a tie for 19th all-time in the latter category.
- MC Nichols posted the 21st multi-hit game of her career, while Kvistad also posted the 25th of her career.
- Cronan now has 14 multiple-hit games in her two seasons as a Jag.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On Day 2 of the Mardi Gras Classic:
"We didn't play well today. That starts with me. I have to do a better job of coaching our team and preparing our players. I need to be better. Our players need to be better. I think we are moving in the right direction, but we know today wasn't good enough and I am responsible for that."

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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