CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of South Alabama softball team kept battling, but came up short falling 3-1 to Notre Dame on the final day of the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by Rawlings at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
UP NEXT
- South Alabama (0-5) will return home for its home opener when the Jags host Southern on Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
Date: 2/9
Place: Eddie C. Moore Complex (Clearwater, Fla.)
Final Score: Notre Dame 3, South Alabama 1
Records: Notre Dame (3-2), South Alabama (0-5)
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- MC Nichols posted her second-straight multi-hit game as she was 2-for-4 at the plate.
-Kamdyn Kvistad drove in the lone Jaguar run with a sacrifice fly and Mackenzie Brasher had a hit and scored a run.
- Holly Stewart also reached base three times for South with a hit, a walk and on a Notre Dame error.
- Lexi Hutchins recorded her second solid relief outing as she pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just three hits and striking out one.
- Notre Dame was led offensively by Leea Hanks and Abby Sweet, who each had a pair of hits. Sweet scored twice and had a double and a triple in addition to an RBI.
GAME FACTS
- The Irish got on the board first with a pair of runs in the opening frame. Hanks reached on an infield single and stole second. After advancing to third on a groundout, Hanks came home on Sweet's double to center. A Jaguar error one batter later led to another run as the throw to first was wide, allowing Sweet to score from second to make it 2-0 Irish.
- Hardy issued a two-out walk to Brooke Marquez and Joley Mitchell then lined a double to left to put runners at first and second, but Brasher made a diving catch in left to end the threat.
- In the Jag second, Stewart and Barlow posted back-to-back two-out singles, but Notre Dame starter Payton Tidd was able to get a ground out to second to end the inning.
- Sweet recorded her second extra-base hit in as many at-bats and then came home one batter later on Clark's RBI ground out in the top of the third, increasing Notre Dame's advantage to 3-0.
- In the bottom half of the inning Brasher beat out an infield single to start the inning and then went to third on a single by MC Nichols through the left side of the infield. Two batters later, Kvistad drove a ball deep to left allowing Brasher to tag and race home (3-1).
- The Irish loaded the bases with one out in the fourth after a pair of singles and a walk, but Hutchins entered in relief and was able to get a grounder right back to her to cut down the runner at home. The freshman then got Katie Marino looking to end the inning.
- The Irish nearly added some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, but Kvistad threw out a would-be base stealer at third and Brasher robed a two-run home run off the bat of Sweet to end the inning.
NOTES
- Sunday's meeting marked the first in the series between the two programs.
- With her walk, Flynn has now reached base safely in all five games this season.
- Four Jaguars – Hughen, Stewart, Brasher and Barlow – recorded their first hits of the season with all but Stewart recording the first of their South Alabama careers.
- Hutchins recorded six of South's 12 ground-ball outs.
- Notre Dame used three pitchers in the contest.
- Over the final four innings, South would have at least one baserunner, but would be unable to push across anything.
- Freshman outfielder Shelby Sloan was named to the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic all-tournament team. In her four games, Sloan .357 with a home run, three runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On her thoughts on the weekend: "I knew coming into the weekend we were going to be challenged and I thought it was great for us. This weekend was a measuring stick and let us see areas we needed to improve and also gave us an opportunity to see some of our strengths as well. I've said from the beginning this was going to be a team that got better as we went because we have so many new faces. Even without playing our best softball we were in every game and had a chance in all of them. We will use this as a learning experience and get better going into this week and our home tournament."
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—
