TROY, Ala. – Shelby Sloan's pinch-hit, RBI ground out helped the University of South Alabama softball team picked up a 4-3 win in extra innings over Texas State in the semifinals of the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Championships Saturday to advance to the title game, but top-seeded Louisiana defeated the Jags 15-3 in five innings at the Troy Softball Complex.

For their play, Jenna Hardy, Kamdyn Kvistad and Mackenzie Brasher were each selected to the all-tournament team.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (30-19) will now await to see if they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The selection show for the tournament will be aired live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. (CT) Sunday evening.

(4) SOUTH ALABAMA vs. (2) TEXAS STATE
Date: 5/15
Place: Troy Softball Complex (Troy, Ala.)

Final Score: (4) South Alabama 4, (2) Texas State 3
Records: South Alabama (30-18), Texas State (38-12)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (18-10)  LP – Tori McCann (4-2)
Home Runs: USA: Kamdyn Kvistad (10)

GAME FACTS
- Texas State recorded its first walk of the game as Kylie George reached with one out in the Bobcat fourth. Tara Oltmann lined a double to left to put a pair of runners in scoring position. South issued an intentional walk to Sara Vanderford to load the bases. USA was able to get a fly ball to shallow right center, but a fielding error allowed George to come home and score an unearned run giving Texas State the 1-0 lead. Despite the defensive miscue, South still got a force out at second on the play and with runners at second and third later in the frame, the Bobcats flew out to right to end the inning.
- The lead didn't last long for as Kvistad hammered a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left to tie the game up at 1-1 – her 10th home run of the season.
- Meredith Keel reached on a four-pitch, one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, who was moved into scoring position with another sac bunt. Pinch hitter Camryn McLemore then drew a walk after a 12-pitch at-bat in which she fouled off six two-strike pitches. Abby Krzywiecki followed with a five-pitch walk of her own to load the bases with two away. Kennedy Cronnan worked the count full and then drew the third-straight walk of the inning, plating Keel and giving South a 2-1 advantage. Brasher then scampered home on a wild pitch to put the Jaguars up, 3-1
- Kylie George singled with one out and stole second in the top of the sixth, and then came around to score on Oltmann's RBI single back up the middle (3-2). Oltmann moved up to second on the throw home and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Vanderford then tied the game up at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to center.
- Bailey Welch lined a single back up the middle with one out in the Jag sixth. The freshman outfielder was then moved into scoring position on Belle Wolfenden's sac bunt, but McCann was able to get a strikeout to end the inning.
- After Texas State left a runner in scoring position in the top half of the inning, Cronan lined a single to left center to start the bottom half of the eighth for the Jaguars. Kvistad then drew a five-pitch walk to move the potential winning run in scoring position at second. After another walk to Allen, pinch hitter Shelby Sloan plated the winning run as she grounded out to second, allowing Cronan to score and help South advance to the championship game with the 4-3 win.

NOTES
- The meeting versus the Bobcats marked the second time the two teams have faced each other in Sun Belt Conference tournament play. The previous meeting came at the 2016 event.
- With her solo home run, Kvistad tied the all-time career mark for home runs, matching former Jags Christin Crocker (2009-12) and Kaitlyn Griffith (2012-15).  
- The home run was Kvistad's 10th of the spring, making her the first player to hit multiple homers in a season since Cronan during 2019. It was also the third home run this season for the Lake City, Fla., native that has either tied or given South the lead this spring.
- Kvistad also drove in her 100th career RBI, making her the eighth South Alabama player to do so.
- The win advanced South Alabama to the championship game for the first time since 2015.

(4) SOUTH ALABAMA vs. (1) LOUISIANA
Date: 5/15
Place: Troy Softball Complex (Troy, Ala.)

Final Score: (1) Louisiana 15, (4) South Alabama 3 (5 inn.)
Records: (1) Louisiana (44-10), (4) South Alabama (30-19)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Summer Ellyson (23-6)  LP – Jenna Hardy (4-3)
Home Runs: USA: Abby Allen (2); LA: Alissa Dalton (4), Sophie Piskos (3), Bailey Curry (5), Melissa Mayeux (4)

GAME FACTS
- Cierra Bryan singled to center on the first pitch of the game and Kaitlyn Alderink followed with single of her own to put runners at the corners. Alderink stole second to put runners at second and third. Kendall Talley followed with a flare to right that scored two (2-0). Following a walk and a hit batter that loaded the bases, Jade Gortarez cleared them and extended the lead to 5-0 with a double to the gap in right center.
- Allen led off the bottom of the second with her second home run of the season to cut the deficit to four (5-1). -
- Louisiana got the run back plus three more. After a leadoff walk, Dalton homered over the wall in right to stretch the Cajun lead to 7-1. Gortarez lined her second double of the game two batters later with one out and Piskos posted the second two-run home run of the inning to make it 9-1. Bryan beat out an infield single
- The Ragin' Cajuns added four more runs in the fourth on a sac fly and a three-run home run from Mayeux to make it 15-1.
- South Alabama loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth and Kassidy Wilcox singled through the left side of the infield to score a run (15-2). USA then added another run on a RBI fielder's choice for Keel (15-3).

NOTES
- Saturday's championship game meeting marked the fourth time that the two teams have squared off for the title. USA and UL faced each other in the championship in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
- The appearance in the title game marked the fifth for the program.
- Prior to allowing three, two-run home runs in the third, South had surrendered three total in the inning thus far this season.
- The 15 runs allowed were the most scored by an opponent in a tournament game.
- Of Louisiana's 15 hits, six went for extra bases – two doubles and four home runs.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the toll going through the elimination bracket had on the team in the championship game:
"We played four game in 48 hours and played under some tough conditions every game; we were maxed out in every game and had to fight for every game. You get down to the end and you kind of run out of gas a little bit. You're playing one of the better teams in the nation. I thought our kids fought the entire time, and competed the entire time. We were just running on fumes
- On the team being positioned for an NCAA at-large bid:
"In my opinion, we're in a great position. I thought our win last night versus Troy definitely helped us, and then the win against Texas State hopefully sealed the deal. I'm not on the committee, so I don't make those decisions, but I'm incredibly proud of our body of work. If you look at the teams that we've beaten throughout the year, I feel our players have proven that they deserve to be in postseason at a regional."
- On what this tournament run means for re-establishing the program:
"We've had some great runs in our history, and obviously we have been down the past few seasons, but this team's goal has been to get the program back where it needed to be and where it's supposed to be. It's been a uphill climb and a grind for our players, but I'm proud of what they've done and the work they've put in. It was their purpose and their goal. When we came off the Georgia Southern series, we knew that we had hurt ourselves. To see them get back in, dig back in and do what they've done is really impressive over the last two weeks."

Catcher Kamdyn Kvistad
- On what it means for the program to get to the championship game:
"I feel this is a big step in the right direction for us. All of our players have worked so hard both on and off the field to get where we are at today. This run gives us a lot of momentum for what's coming up for us in the future. I'm excited to see where we go."
- On tying the career home run mark:
"As a power hitter, that's something you strive for and work on every single day. I'm extremely happy to have been able to do that for my team, and we just continue to work hard."
- On how the tournament run has prepared the team for postseason should South receive an at-large bid:
"The Sun Belt is a competitive league to play in. Credit goes out to all the teams for what they bring. With the way this week played out, I really feel that it has prepared us well. All of the hard work we've put into this week and this season have prepared us for whatever comes next."

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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