MADIERA BEACH, Fla. – The University of South Alabama fell twice on the opening day of THE Spring Games Friday, dropping a 9-7 decision to Seton Hall in its opener and then 3-0 to Middle Tennessee at the R.O.C. Park.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (4-14) will continue play at THE Spring Games on Saturday with two more games. USA will face Iowa at 10 a.m. (CT) and then take on Miami (Ohio) at 12:30 p.m. (CT) at the R.O.C. Park.

Date: 2/28
Place: The R.O.C. Park (Madiera Beach, Fla.)

Game 1
Final Score: Seton Hall 9, South Alabama 7
Records: Seton Hall (5-9), South Alabama (4-13)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Five Jaguars – Mackenzie Brasher, Kamdyn Kvistad, Amanda Flynn, Kassidy Wilcox and Holly Stewart – each recorded a pair of hits.
- Stewart also walked once, while MC Nichols walked twice, scored a run and stole her sixth base of the season.
- Kvistad drove in three runs with her first home run of the season, while Breanna Barlow had a pinch-hit two-run single.
- Seton Hall was led at the plate by Baylee Allender who was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.
- Payton Beaver also had a pair of hits in her three at-bats to go along with her two RBI. Darby Pandolfo also had a pair of hits, drove in three and scored a run for the Pirates.

GAME FACTS
- M. Nichols walked to start the game and then stole second to move into scoring position. With runners at the corners after a walk to Kennedy Cronan, Kvistad legged out a two-out infield single to score Nichols from third (1-0). Flynn followed with a single through the left side to load the bases, but Reganne Camp was able to get a ground out to end the inning.
- Seton Hall answered back with a run in the bottom half of the opening frame. Janae Barracato was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position after a walk. The Pirates tied the game up on Beaver's one-out single to left plating Barracato.
- South loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third after a leadoff double by Katelyn Gruich and a pair of Pirate errors, but relief pitcher Kelsey Gumm (2-2) was able to get Kassidy Wilcox to line out into a double play to escape the bases-loaded jam. Over the course of the first three innings, South would leave six runners on base.
- In Seton Hall's half of the fourth with two outs, Kiana Tate singled to right to put runners at the corners. Jaden Tate then singled off of Gruich's glove as she laced a single down the leftfield line, scoring a pair of runs. Abby Wingo scored on the play and K. Tate's run was then allowed to count when obstruction was called making it 4-2.
- The Jaguars scored four runs in their half of the fifth. Brasher led the inning off with a single and then was moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Cronan then singled through the left side of the infield to bring around Brasher (4-3) and Kassidy Wilcox lined a single to right to plate Cronan and tie the game up at 4-4.  South later loaded the bases, and Barlow then delivered a pinch hit single to right to score a pair and give South the 6-4 advantage.
- The Pirates answered right back the next half inning with a three-spot courtesy of Pandalfo's home run to left.
- South responded with two more runs in the top of the sixth to retake the lead. Brasher reached on an infield single and with two outs in the inning, Kvistad lifted a ball that flew over the wall in left center (7-6).
- The Jaguar lead would be short-lived though. Barracato recorded a one-out single to right and Hailey Arteaga singled to left setting the table for Allender who tripled to center just out of reach of a diving MC Nichols (8-7). Beaver later followed with a RBI single to left giving the Pirates a two-run advantage.
- South attempted to rally back in the seventh loading the bases with one out, but SHU reliever Shelby Smith was able to get a double play to end the game and pick up her first save of the spring.

NOTES
- The meeting was the first ever between the two programs.
- The home run by Kvisad was the 17th of her career and the first of the season for the junior.
- The two-run pinch hit by Barlow marked the first career RBI for the freshman.
- The multi-hit game was the 26th of her career, which is tied with former Jag Julie Moss for 18th-most in program history, and the three RBI marked the 14th multi-RBI effort of her career.

Game 2
Final Score: Middle Tennessee 3, South Alabama 0
Records: Middle Tennessee (8-10), South Alabama (4-14)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Kvistad and Wilcox both reached base twice for the Jaguars with a single and a walk.
- Mia Marinkis and Lexi Cushing each had a solo home run for the Blue Raiders.

GAME FACTS
- Marinakis gave the Blue Raiders the early lead as she drove a ball over the wall in left for her first home run of the season.
- Kvistad drew a leadoff walk after being down 0-2 in the count to start the next half inning. Wilcox then walked and Stewart lined a single to load the bases with two outs in the frame, but Amber Baldwin (4-2) was able to get a groundout to end the inning.
- Kelci Hill led off the third with a double to center and then moved over to third with a sac bunt. Cushing then walked and while attempting to steal, the second run of the game for Middle Tennessee came home on a Jaguar error (2-0).
- South loaded the bases loaded for the second straight inning in the bottom of the third, but Baldwin was able to get out of the am after a pop out on the infield and a ground out to third.
- Cushing led off the fifth with a solo home run to center to extend the Middle Tennessee lead to 3-0.

NOTES
- First meeting in the series since the 2017 season and was Middle Tennessee's first series win in their last 10 attempts.
- Hughen (0-4) finished with a season-high eight strikeouts. The junior only had six coming into the game.
- The loss was the ninth-straight for the Jaguars.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On Friday's games:
"We were unable to put it together today. When we got the pitching we didn't get the hits and when we got the hits we gave up runs. Tomorrow is a chance for us to work and put it all together."

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—