SAN MARCOS, Texas – Senior pitcher Allie Hughen went the distance and leadoff hitter Caroline Nichols was 3-for4- at the plate as the University of South Alabama softball team took game one of the Sun Belt Conference series Friday night, 3-1 versus No. 18 Texas State at the Bobcat Softball Stadium.

The Jaguar win snapped an 18-game win streak by the Bobcats – which was second-longest active streak in the nation.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (19-12, 7-4 SBC) will face the Bobcats on Saturday in game two of the series with first pitch set for 2 p.m. at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

SOUTH ALABAMA at NO. 18 TEXAS STATE
Date: 4/9
Place: Bobcat Softball Stadium (San Marcos, Texas)

Final Score: South Alabama 3, No. 18 Texas State 1
Records: South Alabama (19-12, 7-4 SBC), Texas State (25-4, 8-1 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Allie Hughen (6-4)  LP – Jessica Mullins (12-3)
Home Runs: USA: Belle Wolfenden (3)

GAME FACTS
- The Jaguars took the early lead with an unearned run in the top of the first. Caroline Nichols led off the game with an infield single, who then moved up to third on a stolen base and an errant throw. Mullins retired the next two batters, but with two outs in the inning, the junior outfielder slid across the plate and put South up, 1-0 after a wild pitch that went to the backstop.
- Hannah Earls was issued a leadoff walk the next half inning. With one out, Earls stole second and Sara Vanderford earned a walk after a 12-pitch at-bat., but Hughen helped herself out defensively as she snagged Tara Oltmann's liner back up the middle and doubled off Vanderford at first to get out of the inning.
- With one away in the Jaguar third, Nichols reached on her second-infield hit of the game, and Meredith Keel lined a single off the glove of Baylee Lemons' glove at third, but Mullins retired the next two batters to leave the runners stranded.
- Lemons reached on a two-base error to start the bottom of the third for Texas State, but she was left in scoring position after Hughen was able to retire the next three batters with a foul out to left sandwiched around a pair of Bobcat batters called for out of the box.
- Belle Wolfenden led off the fifth with her third home run of the spring as she drilled a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left to give South a two-run lead (2-0).
- Caitlyn Rogers singled back up the middle to start the bottom half of the fifth inning. Bobcat pinch hitter ArieAnn Bell was then hit by a 2-1 pitch to put a pair of runners on with one out in the inning. Samara Lagway – the second Texas State pinch hitter of the inning for Texas State – was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, and Bell scored on Vanderford's fielder's choice as Kylie George barely beat the throw to second (2-1).
- The Jaguars got the run right back the next half inning. Victoria Ortiz placed runners at the corners with one out in the top of the sixth as she lined a single to right center. Kennedy Cronan greeted Bobcat reliever Dalliah Barrera with a RBI double off the wall in center – her 11th of the season – scoring Jordyn Calderoan, which put South Alabama back up by two runs (3-1).
- Cat Crenek reached on a one-out double in the Texas State sixth, but Hughen stiffened up and sat down the next two Bobcat batters to leave the runner standing in scoring position.
- Hughen worked a perfect seventh recording three of her 11 ground-ball outs to end the game.

NOTES
- Friday's opener between the Jaguars and Bobcats marked the 18th in the all-time series and the 10th in San Marcos.
- The win was the first by the Jaguars on the Bobcats' home field since the first game between the two clubs back on April 5, 2014.  
- The three wins this spring against ranked opponents are third-most in a season for the Jaguars and most since recording six during the 2014 season.
- The win versus Texas State was the 175th regular-season win against a Sun Belt opponent.
- Nichols is now 9-for-9 in her stolen base attempts, which leads the team and ranks among the Sun Belt leaders.
- The three-hit performance tied a career high for the Hoover, Ala., native, and was the fifth multi-hit game of the season for Nichols.
- The home run by Wolfenden was the sixth to lead off an inning by the Jaguars this season. All three of Wolfenden's home runs have come on the road, including two in Sun Belt play.
- The double for Cronan was the 23rd of her Jaguar career.
- The shutout was the second of the season for Hughen and the fifth of her career.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On getting the series-opening win:
"Tonight was a great team win and a great way to start the series. We got a huge performance on the mound from Allie [Hughen] and had offensive production from all areas of the order. I'm really proud of our team for bouncing back after a tough loss Wednesday and getting it done on the road. We need to build on this going into tomorrow and keep the momentum."

Pitcher Allie Hughen
- On her performance in the circle against the Bobcats:
"I was able to work all my pitches – up, down, in, out and off-speed. I've been working on a lot of things in practice and it all came together today. It was the main reason I was able to get the victory today."
- On what it means to start this key road series off with a win:
"It's huge for us to get the win after all the traveling we've done this week, and playing in the heat that we haven't been used to play in. We didn't even let that be a factor for us tonight, and we just came out and beat a top-25 team tonight."

Outfielder Caroline Nichols
- On her performance at the plate at the top of the order:
"Recently, I've been focusing on staying aggressive at the plate. Even though I hadn't been getting the results that I had been wanting too, I was still stepping in the box ready to hit Today, I just went with the pitches that Texas State gave me."
- On how big it is for this club to start the series off with a win:
"It's very big considering the week we've had. We'd already had a pair of games earlier this week and then we had to travel all day yesterday. We didn't let the fact that they were a top 25 team bother us and we just stepped in and competed."

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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