CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped a pair of games Friday on day one of the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by Rawlings at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. The Jags fell, 5-2 in the opener to Texas State and then dropped a heartbreaker, 7-5 in game two to No. 25 Missouri.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (0-2) will continue play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic Saturday with a pair of games – vs. No. 6 Minnesota at 1 p.m. (CT) and Illinois at 3:30 pm (CT).

Date: 2/7
Place: Eddie C. Moore Complex (Clearwater, Fla.)

Game 1
Final Score: Texas State 5, South Alabama 2
Records: Texas State (1-0), South Alabama (0-1)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Katelyn Gruich was one of two Jaguars to record a home run in the loss.
- Freshman outfielder Shelby Sloan ended the game with a pair of hits, including a solo home run.
- Texas State's Sarah Vanderford recorded a multi-hit game as she was 2-for-3 at the plate and also drove in a pair of runs.
- ArieAnn Bell had a home run and Hailey MacKay had a double, while they both scored twice.
- Megan King (1-0) went the distance allowing just five hits. In her seven innings of work, King struck out 11 and did not walk anyone.

GAME FACTS
- Texas State got on the board first with three runs in the bottom half of the opening frame. The Bobcats loaded the bases after a pair of walks and a hit batter. Vanderford then singled back up the middle to plate Bailee Carter and MacKay. Samara Lagway then followed with a RBI-single to make it 3-0.
- South got of the board in the top of the second as Gruich lined a ball over the wall in left center (3-1).
- The Jaguars threatened to do more damage their next time up placing a pair of runners on with one out, but King was able to hold South off the scoreboard.
- In the bottom half of the third, Texas State go an unearned run. Vanderford singled to left and the ball was misplayed, allowing MacKay to score and make it 4-1.
- Sloan later led off South Alabama's half of the fifth with a solo home run to right, but the Bobcats answered right back in the bottom of the inning as Bell homered to center (5-2).

NOTES
- The meeting between the two programs was the 17th in the all-time series but didn't count in the conference standings.
- The home run by Gruich was the 15th of her career.
- Sloan's home run was her first collegiate hit.
- All three home runs by the two teams led off an inning.

Game 2
Final Score: No. 25 Missouri 7, South Alabama 5
Records: Missouri (2-0), South Alabama (0-2)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Kennedy Cronan was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double, a walk and a run scored.
- Amanda Flynn had a hit and drove in a run in her two plate appearances.
- Caroline Nichols had a hit and scored a run, while Sloan, Holly Stewart and Kandyn Kvistad also plated a run.
- Missouri had four players record multi-hit games led by Brooke Wilmes and Hattie Moore, who each had three hits apiece.
- Wilmes had a double and scored a pair of runs, while Moore hit a home run.
- Jazmyn Rollins had two hits, scored twice and drove in three, while Imani Myint also had two hits and scored once.
- Eli Daniel struck out all three batters she faced in the top of the seventh to earn her second save of the season.

GAME FACTS
- Wilmes led off the bottom of the first with a double and then came home on Rollin's triple to right. Rollins then scored done batter later on a Jaguar error. With two outs in the inning, Moore homered to center to put the Tigers up 3-0.
- Gruich led off the second with a single back up the middle. Cronan then beat out an infield single and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. With one away, Stewart lifted a fly ball to right that was deep enough to score Gruich from third (3-1).
- The Illini picked the run back up the next half inning as Myint singled down the third base line, but no one covered the bag at first and Gruich's throw went into foul ground. The ball was then misplayed and bobbled allowing Myint to race around the bases (4-1).
- South tied the game up (4-4) with three runs in the fifth. Stewart reached on error and Flynn was then hit by a pitch to put a pair on. C. Nichols then lined a single to center to load the bases. Two batters later, Sloan dropped in a single in left center plating Jordyn Calderon, who was pinch-running for Stewart. Two more runs came in one batter later when Rollins bobbled a grounder at short, allowing C. Nichols and Flynn to score (4-4).
- Cronan battled back from a 0-2 count to work a leadoff walk to begin South's have of the sixth. With two outs, Flynn lined a single back up the middle that was nearly caught on a diving play by Tiger second baseman Kendyll Bailey, but the ball came out of her glove. Cronan kept running on the play and beat the throw home to give South its first lead of the day, giving the Jags a 5-4 advantage.
- Illinois didn't let the Jags hold the lead long as they answered with a three-spot of their own. Wilmes recorded her third hit of the game as she lined a single back up the middle to start the bottom of the sixth. Rollins then worked the count full and lifted a ball high over the wall in right center to put the Tigers back on top, 6-5. Two batters later, Wert recorded Mizzou's second home run of the inning, this one a solo shot to left (7-5).
- Daniels entered in the seventh and struck out the side to record her second save for Missouri.

NOTES
- Friday's meeting was the first in the series between the two teams.
- The No.1-5 spots in the Missouri lineup combined to record 10 of the Tigers 12 hits, six runs and six RBI.
- C. Nichols' fifth-inning single marked the first hit of her collegiate career.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On day one of the tournament: "I didn't think we played well at all in the first game. We got off to a really slow start. In the second game, we started out slow again and as the game went on we started figuring it out and digging in a little bit more. We have to be better tomorrow. You're happy to see us come back in that game and get something going, but at that same time we aren't in that situation if we don't give up the three runs in the first inning. Teams are going to score runs and that's part of the game, but I wasn't really happy with the way we let them score runs today. We just have to come out with a compete mindset tomorrow and do a better job of attacking from the outset. We need to take a step forward tomorrow."

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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