CONWAY, S.C. – The University of South Alabama softball team erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning en route to an 11-1 victory in five innings Sunday afternoon at St. John Stadium to complete the Sun Belt Conference series sweep.

Shelby Sloan led the club at the plate as the redshirt freshman was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a RBI. Abby Krzywiecki, Belle Wolfenden, Kassidy Wilcox and Meredith Keel also had multi-hit outings with two hits apiece. Wolfenden drove in four and had a home run, while Kennedy Cronan and Victoria Ortiz also drove in a pair.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (16-8, 6-0 SBC) will return home to host LSU for a midweek non-conference match up. First pitch versus the Tigers is set for 6:30 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

SOUTH ALABAMA at COASTAL CAROLINA
Date: 3/21
Place: St. John Stadium (Conway, S.C.)

Final Score: South Alabama 11, Coastal Carolina 1 (5 inn.)
Records: South Alabama (16-8, 6-0 SBC), Coastal Carolina (7-12, 1-5 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (11-3)  LP – Kaitlin Beasley-Polko (5-6)
Home Runs: USA: Kassidy Wilcox (2), Belle Wolfenden (2); CCU: Mackenzie Beyer (3)

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama took the early lead with a run in the opening frame. Mackenzie Brasher reached on a one-out fielding error who then stole second to move into scoring position. Two batters later, Cronan was issued a free pass, and Shelby Sloan's ball dropped in for a hit, which allowed Brasher to score from first (1-0).
- Makiya Thomas laced a sharp single back up the middle and moved into scoring after stealing second. Thomas then advanced to third on a fly out to center that was snagged at the top of the fence by Brasher. Lackie followed with a called strike out of Iyanla De Jesus to end the inning and strand the runner.
- Wilcox doubled South's lead (2-0) as the sophomore drove a 3-0 pitch over the wall in left for her second home run of the spring to lead off the second.
- With one out in the third, Sloan laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first for her second hit of the day, and came home one batter later on Wolfenden's two-run home run to left (4-0).
- Leading by four, South Alabama broke the game open in the fourth plating seven runs on eight hits. Krzywiecki lined a double to the gap in right center to score Caroline Nichols (5-0) – who had reached on a single earlier in the inning – and put runners at second and third. Cronan then lined a double – her team-best ninth of the season – down the leftfield line to score a pair of runs. Sloan and Wolfenden both doubled with the latter's scoring a pair of runs to extend the Jaguar advantage to 9-0. Wilcox posted South's sixth hit of the inning with a single through the left side to put runners at the corners and moved to second on a wild pitch. Victoria Ortiz then got into the action as she lined a single back up the middle to score two more runs and make it 11-0.  
- Beyer ended the shutout bid as she led CCU's half of the fifth off with a home run to left (11-1), but after allowing two more base runners, Lackie retired the next three batters to end the game.

NOTES
- The series sweep marks the first in the series by either program.
- The three wins this weekend also marked the first SBC road sweeping ULM in Monroe on April 22-23, 2017.
- The last time South Alabama swept back-to-back Sun Belt series also came during the 2017 season when the Jags took back-to-back series versus Georgia Southern (4/29-30) and at ULM.
- With her fourth-inning double, Krzywiecki extended both her hitting and reached base safely streaks to 11. The 11-game hit streak is now tied with four other players for 10th-longest streak in program history and the longest since Brittani Reid's 12-game streak during the 2019 season.
- Sunday's game also marked Krzywiecki's 100th career start at first base.
- Wolfenden and Sloan both extended their hit streaks to four games each with their performances.
- The multi-hit games were the third of the season and the fourth of her career.
- The three-hits by Sloan also marked a career high.
- Wilcox's home run to start the second marked the fifth leadoff long ball of the season for the Jaguars.
- Cronan moved into a three-way tie with former Jags Julie Moss and Alex Breeden for 25th all-time in career multi-RBI games as she now has 17 for her career.
- Keel posted her 21st career multi-hit game and her team-best ninth of the spring.
- Both the 11 runs scored and the 15 hits set new season highs in those categories for South.
- Four of South Alabama's eight hits in the seven-run fourth were doubles, as the team finished with five in the game.
- The five doubles matched a season high for the Jaguars as they also had that number against Butler back on Feb. 20.
- The seven-run inning marked the most runs scored in a single inning this season and was the second time in the weekend series that the Jaguars score five or more in a frame.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game:
"We have been working to put together consistent quality at-bats and we did that today. I thought we worked every pitch and applied pressure at the plate and on the bases. On the other side, we had great pitching and defense all weekend long. This was a big series for us and I'm proud of our effort and the work we put in this weekend."

Infielder Belle Wolfenden
- On her performance at the plate:
"I just kept it simple today. I've been working really hard the past few weeks. I kind of went into a hole [at the plate] the past few weekends, so I just came back today and focused on maintaining my approach. As a team, we were just calm and confident today during our at-bats"
- On getting the sweep and remaining perfect in Sun Belt play:
"It's very big for us to get the sweep. For my team, we just have to keep pushing forward and keep our momentum."

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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