TROY, Ala. – Freshman pitcher Olivia Lackie struck out nine and carried a perfect game into the fifth inning, while the offense erupted for 11 runs on 13 hits as the University of South Alabama softball team cruised to an 11-0, run-rule victory over fifth-seeded Appalachian State Wednesday at the Troy Softball Complex at the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Lackie (17-9) allowed just one hit and tossed her 15th complete game of the season. Kamdyn Kvistad was 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Kennedy Cronan had two hits, including a solo home run and Abby Krzywiecki added a three-run blast in the eight-run fourth-inning for the Jaguars.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (27-17) will next face (1) Louisiana on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Troy Softball Complex.

(4) SOUTH ALABAMA vs. (5) APPALACHIAN STATE
Date: 5/12
Place: Troy Softball Complex (Troy, Ala.)

Final Score: (4) South Alabama 11, (5) Appalachian State 0 (5 inns.)
Records: South Alabama (27-17), Appalachian State (26-18)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (17-9)  LP – Kenzie Loganecker (14-7)
Home Runs: USA: Abby Krzywiecki (8), Kennedy Cronan (3)

GAME FACTS
- Kvistad lined a one-out single – the first hit of the game by either squad – in the bottom of the second inning, and Abby Allen followed with a single of her own to the gap in left center. After two pitches out of the zone, Bailey Welch then laced a two-run double in the gap to score Allen and pinch runner Jordyn Calderon and put the Jaguars on top, 2-0.
- Caroline Nichols reached with a one-out infield single in the Jags' half of the third, and Mackenzie Brasher dumped a liner in shallow left to put a pair on. Two batters later, Cronan doubled to left center to plate Nichols and extend the lead to 3-0.
- Kvistad led off the bottom of the fourth with her second hit of the afternoon. After trailing 0-2, Welch battled back and worked a walk to put two Jaguar runners on base for the third-straight inning.  Belle Wolfenden then loaded the bases after a five-itch walk and Meredith Keel plated a run on a RBI ground out (4-0). With two away and runners at second and third, Camryn McLemore delivered a two-run, pinch-hit single that was just over the shortstops head, allowing Welch and Wolfenden to score.
- Brasher then reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners, and moved into scoring position with her eighth stolen base of the season. The Jaguars then used the long ball to extend their lead to double-digits (10-0) after back-to-back home runs off the bats of Abby Krzywiecki – a three-run shot – and a solo shot from Cronan.
- After an illegal pitch was called to keep the inning alive and load the bases again, Emma Kropp delivered South's second pinch-hit of the inning and the drove in the eighth run as she singled back up the middle to make it 11-0.
- The Mountaineers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth after a pair of walks and an infield hit, but Lackie was able to get a fly out to left to end the game and preserve the shut out.

NOTES
- The meeting marks the first postseason meeting between the two clubs in the all-time series.
- Appalachian State used four pitchers during South Alabama's eight-run, fourth-inning outburst.
- The eight-run inning by the Jaguars ties for 10th-most runs scored in an inning in program history, and the most scored in an inning in postseason play.
- Lackie carried a perfect game into the top of the fifth before issuing a one-out walk to Sidney Russell, and was one out away from posting her second career no-hitter until Gabby Burato's single.
- Lackie was able to get ahead of the Mountaineer batters as she threw 15 first-strike pitches to the 18 batters that she face. The freshman also got ahead 0-2 in the count nine times, retiring all but one of those batters, including five strikeouts.
- With the three first-innings strikeouts, Lackie moved passed Morgan Druhan (2010-11) for sixth-place on South Alabama's career strikeout list. She has 216 this season.
- The three-hit performance marked the seventh multi-hit game of the spring for Kvistad and the 35th game of her career with two or more hits in a game, which moved her into a tie for ninth all-time at South with former Jag Christin Crocker (2009-12).
- Krzywiecki's home run was the senior's eighth of the season and the 17th of her career, moving her into a tie for ninth all-time with Meghan Collins (2010-13).
- The solo shot was the 14th career home run for Cronan. With her two hits, Cronan now has 24 multi-hit games as a Jag and the two-RBI performance on Wednesday marked the 20th game in which the Daphne, Ala., native has driven in two or more runs.
- The back-to-back home runs by Krzywiecki and Cronan are the first time since Katelyn Gruich and Savanna Mayo at ULM (4/23/17) that South Alabama has had two player accomplish the feat.
- The run-rule victory is the first recorded by South at the conference tournament and first time a game has been decided in the fifth in a South Alabama game at the event the 2011 tournament.
- South has had four games run-rule games this spring and is 3-1 in those contests.
- Two key stats for the offense in the win were in two-out hitting – 7-for-9 (.778) – and runners in scoring position – 6-for-10 (.600). The Jaguars also had eight, two-out RBI.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On her thoughts on the opening round win:
"Today was a great way to start the tournament. We played with a lot of energy and focus. Liv set the tone in the first inning and pitched a great game overall. Her offense produced behind her and we got production top to bottom and from the bench as well. We just have to take this one game and one pitch at a time."

Pitcher Olivia Lackie
- On what worked well for her today in the circle:
"Today when I went out on the mound, my main focus was to work my screwball and rise ball to keep App State off-balance. I felt that was very effective today."
- On the impact of getting the early runs:
"Coming in and starting my first Sun Belt Conference game as a freshman, the early runs definitely relieved some pressure. Getting those two runs in the second inning really helped me as I went forward in the game."

Catcher Kamdyn Kvistad
- On what she saw out of Olivia Lackie that made her so effective:
"Liv came out and threw a great game today. She was attacking hitters and throwing strikes early in the count. She was able to get App State to chase her stuff up in the zone and side-to-side. When you're having the hitters constantly guessing on what you're throwing, it's always a good thing. She was able to dominate them early and carried that throughout the entire game."
- On the production of the offense in the win :
"We came out aggressive today. We're in postseason now and everyone has a clean slate. We came out swinging and focused in on hitting good pitches. We just passed the bat throughout the whole lineup. This was a good way to start the Sun Belt 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.

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