MOBILE, Ala. – Freshman catcher Kassidy Wilcox recorded a season-best three hits, drove in four and scored a pair of runs as the University of South Alabama softball team rallied back to pick up a 10-6 victory over Appalachian State in its Sun Belt Conference opener Friday night at Jaguar Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (7-15, 1-0 SBC) will continue the Sun Belt series versus the Mountaineers on Saturday with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

Date: 3/6
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: South Alabama 10, Appalachian State 6
Records: South Alabama (7-15, 1-0 SBC), Appalachian State (11-8, 0-1 SBC)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Wilcox was 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice to go along with a season-best four RBI.
- Kamdyn Kvistad also had a three-hit night in her four at-bats as she drove in the go-ahead run and scored two times. Two of her three hits were doubles.
- Junior outfielder Amanda Flynn also had a multi-hit night as she reached base three times with a pair of hits and a walk, to go along with a run scored.
- Katelyn Gruich added a hit and walked once, while also scoring twice, while Allie Hughen had a double and drove in a pair.
- Lexi Hutchins (4-4) picked up the win in relief as she tossed 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out three.
- Caylie Kifer was 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Mountaineers, while Sidney Russell also had a pair of hits in her four at-bats. Russell drove in two and scored a run.

GAME FACTS
- Flynn drew a two-out walk to load the bases in the bottom half of the first and Wilcox lined a single to center to score Kennedy Cronan and Kvistad (2-0), who had singled and doubled, respectively, earlier in the inning to give South the early lead.
- The Mountaineers put up a five-spot in the top of the third, four of which were unearned. Appalachian State loaded the bases with one out and scored its first run of the game when Baylee Morton drew a bases-loaded walk – her 17th RBI of the spring. Two batters later, Russell delivered a two-run single to left and Kiffer followed with a two-run single back up the middle to give the visitors a 5-2 advantage.
- South Alabama answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game back up at 5-5. Cronan walked and Kvistad singled to start the inning and with two outs in the inning, Wilcox drove in her third run of the night with a single back up the middle. Hughen then knotted the game up at five as she lined a double into the gap in right center to plate Kvistad and Wilcox.
- App State came right back the next half inning and retook the lead. Mary Pierce Barnes doubled to left center to score Gabby Burato, who led off the inning with an infield single and make it 6-5 in favor of the Mountaineers. App looked as if it might do more damage loading the bases with one out after a single, but Gruich was able to turn an inning-ending double play throwing out Barnes trying to score.
- Russell and Kifer recorded back-to-back singles to start the App fifth, but Hutchins was able to get a strikeout swinging and a pair of ground outs to get out of the jam and leave runners at second and third, and keep the game at a one-run deficit.
- South took advantage of the missed opportunity by the Mountaineers and tied the game up with a run in the fifth. Gruich and Flynn both singled to start the bottom of the fifth. Wilcox then stepped to the plate and delivered her third base-hit of the contest and drove in her fourth run of the evening with a single back up the middle (6-6).
- MC Nichols singled to center to start the Jag sixth and moved into scoring position one batter later. Kvistad then drilled a double to the left-center gap – her third hit and second double of the night, plating Nichols and giving USA a 7-6 lead. South added three more runs later in the inning to extend its lead to 10-6. Jordyn Calderon drew a bases-loaded walk and Flynn then scored on an error. The final run of the inning came on Mackenzie Brasher's RBI-single to center.
- Hutchins gave up a leadoff walk to Taylor Thorp to start the seventh, but settled down and retired the next three batters to seal the victory.

NOTES
- With the home-opening conference win, South Alabama has now won four of its last five at home to begin Sun Belt play and 10 of its 14 all time.
- With her first-inning double, Kvistad extended her on-base streak to 11 games, one shy of matching her career long in that category.
- The three hits for Kvistad marked the 28th multi-hit game of her career, which moved her into stand-alone 17th place on the career lists, and her sixth of the season.
- The four-RBI night by Wilcox was her first multi-RBI game of the season and were a career-best for the freshman.
- The five-run third marked the sixth time this season that South has allowed four or more runs in an inning. Five of those six innings have come at home.
- The six runs scored by App State equaled the total amount of runs scored by the Mountaineers in their first six series games at Jaguar Field.
- Only one of the five runs allowed by Hughen was earned.
- Everyone in the starting lineup reached base safely once and eight of the nine Jaguar batters recorded at least one hit.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the win tonight:
"It was a great team win tonight and a great way to open up conference play. I thought our kids fought hard the entire time. We had some good at-bats in there during some tough situations. We made some tough pitches in some tough situations, as well. One of the things we wanted to do [tonight] was pick up where we left off in the FAU game with the fight we had in that game. In that moment we bared down and got it done, and I thought we did that tonight. I'm really proud of them and glad to have gotten the win tonight, because the fight was definitely there."

Freshman Catcher Kassidy Wilcox
- On her approach at the plate tonight:
"I really didn't think too much during my at-bats, I just focused on hitting strikes. I went up there with that plan and it worked out for me.

- On getting the series-opening win:
"It's great and needed that push forward. Before the game Coach [Clark] reminded us that we fought to win this past weekend and we did that tonight too. We just need to keep fighting hard to win because this is a team that can keep doing 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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