CONWAY, S.C. – The University of South Alabama softball team improved to 4-0 in Sun Belt Conference play Friday as the Jaguars picked up a 5-3 victory over Coastal Carolina at St. John Stadium.

Freshman Olivia Lackie (10-3) tossed her sixth complete game of the season, striking out seven, and Abby Krzywiecki's two-run home run in the sixth proved to be the difference for South. Mackenzie Brasher was 3-for-4 at the plate with a RBI and a pair of runs scored.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (14-8, 4-0 SBC) will face Coastal Carolina in game two of the series on Saturday with first pitch set for noon (CT).

SOUTH ALABAMA at COASTAL CAROLINA
Date: 3/19
Place: St. John Stadium (Conway, S.C.)

Final Score: South Alabama 5, Coastal Carolina 3
Records: South Alabama (14-8, 4-0 SBC), Coastal Carolina (7-10, 1-3 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (10-3  LP – Kaitlin Beasle-Polko
Home Runs: USA: Abby Krzywiecki (3); CCU: Abbey Montoya (2), Courtney Dean (3), Iyanla De Jesus (2)

GAME FACTS
- Coastal threatened to get on the board in the second. Montoya lined a one-out single to left. Two batters later, Mackenzie Beyer was hit by a pitch to put a pair on with two outs in the frame and Taylor Sweigart was hit by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases, but Lackie kept the Chants off the scoreboard as she struck out Mary Sobataka to end the inning.
- Like the Coastal Carolina the previous half inning, South Alabama loaded the bases in the third. Meredith Keel and Caroline Nichols posted back-to-back singles, and two batters later, Krzywiecki walked to load the bases – extending her reached base safely streak to nine games. Beasley-Polko posted her fifth strikeout though to end the frame.
- Makiya Thomas reached on a Jag error to start the bottom of the third and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. She was then sacrificed to third on a sacrifice bunt. Belle Wolfenden made an outstanding grab on a hard-hit liner to second and Lackie was able to get a pop out on the infield to keep the game scoreless.
- Kennedy Cronan walked to lead off the fourth, and with one away, pinch runner Jordyn Calderon stole second to move into scoring position for South. With two outs, Wolfenden drew a full-count walk, but Beasley-Polko was able to snag a liner back up the middle to end the inning.
- CCU's Montoya drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in center to lead off the bottom of the fourth and give the Chants a 1-0 lead. Dean then followed with her third home run of the spring to put Coastal up 2-0. Montoya and Dean both led Coastal at the plate with two hits apiece.
- South got the two runs right back and added another to take the lead in its half of the fifth. Nichols reached on a CCU error to begin the fifth and stole second two pitches later. The junior outfielder then moved up a base on a wild pitch. Brasher then plated the Jag run (1-2) as she reached base after avoiding the tag by Chant first baseman Kayla Rosado. After moving up to second, Kamdyn Kvistad dropped in a single to put runners at the corners, and Cronan tied the game (2-2) with a sac fly to left. Victoria Ortiz followed with a single to right and moved up to second on an errant throw into the infield. With runners at second and third, Shelby Sloan scored Kvistad (3-2) from third on another infield single.
- With two outs in the sixth, Brasher laced a single to left – her third straight hit in as many at-bats – and Krzywiecki blasted a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to give South some insurance and extend the Jaguar lead to 5-2.
- Iyanla De Jesus cut the South lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out home run to center – the third of the game by the Chants.
- Lackie sat down the Chants in order in the seventh getting two more strikeouts to give her seven for the game.

NOTES
- The win marked the first victory in a road SBC opener since the 2014 season.
- With her sixth-inning home run – her third of the season and the 12th of her career Krzywiecki extended her career-best hit streak to nine games.
- Ortiz and Nichols both extended their hit streaks to five and four games, respectively.
- The multi-hit game was the second of the season for Sloan, while the three hits by Brasher marked the eighth game with two or more hits this season.
- The three hits also tied a career high for the Orange Beach, Ala., native.
- Two-out hitting was a key stat for both clubs as South Alabama was 6-for-13 (.462) in those situations, while Coastal was 0-for-7.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On Friday's series opener:
"I didn't think we played our best softball today, but we were still able to step up when we needed to and get the win. [Belle] Wolfenden's play at second base was a big play and Abby's [Krzywiecki] home run in the sixth was the difference for us offensively. Liv [Olivia Lackie] didn't have her best stuff today, but she was able to grit it out and get the win. A win is a win, but I look forward to us coming out tomorrow and playing more of a complete game."

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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