MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball pitcher Olivia Lackie struck out 13 batters, but Troy was able to put across a run in the top of the third and hold off a late charge by the Jaguars as the Trojans took Friday night's game 1-0 at Jaguar Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (25-17, 12-9 SBC) will wrap up the regular season and the series on Saturday with the Trojans with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Jaguar Field. Prior to the game, South will honor its four seniors – Jordyn Calderon, Amanda Flynn, Abby Krzywiecki and Kamdyn Kvistad.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. TROY
Date: 5/7
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: Troy 1, South Alabama 0
Records: Troy (34-12, 17-5 SBC), South Alabama (25-17, 12-9 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Leanna Johnson (19-5)  LP – Olivia Lackie (15-9)

GAME FACTS
- Troy's Jade Sinness walked on four-straight out of the zone to start the game and with two-outs Kelly Horne dropped in a single in left after a 10-pitch at-bat, but Lackie was able to field a comebacker and throw out the runner at first to leave the two Trojan runners stranded.
- The Trojan's took advantage of a pair of two-out walks in their half of the third. Katie Lively and Katie Webb earned back-to-back walks and Horne singled off the glove of Meredith Keel at third and beat Kennedy Cronan's throw to first. Lively kept running on the play and slid home for the first run of the game to give Troy the 1-0 lead.
- Sinness reached for the second time as she led off the fifth with a single back up the middle. Webb and Horne both walked with one out to load the bases with one out in the inning, but Lackie and the Jaguar defense was able to get Anslee Finch to ground into a 6-3 double play and get out of the inning and hold the deficit at one.
- Keel laced a single back up the middle to lead off the bottom of the sixth – just the second hit of the game for the Jaguars. Two batters later, Mackenzie Brasher beat out an infield single to put a pair on for South with one away in the frame. Johnson was able to get a pop out on the infield and then a strikeout – her ninth of the contest – to get out of the inning.
- South Alabama was able to bring the potential winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh as Abby Allen drew a two-out walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Johnson sealed the win for the Trojans though one batter later as she recorded her 10th strikeout of the evening to end the game.

NOTES
- Friday night's meeting marked the 41st in the all-time series and the 20th at Jaguar Field. It was also the second of the season versus the two clubs as Troy picked up a 3-0 victory in Troy back on April 7.
- With her fourth-inning strikeout of Candela Figueroa, Lackie became the seventh Jaguar pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts for her career.
- The 200-strikeout mark for the season also marked the eighth time in program history and the first since Devin Brown (231 – 2018) that a South Alabama pitcher has had 200 strikeouts in a single season.
- With her 13 strikeouts, the freshman righty passed former pitchers Hannah Campbell (199 – 2012) and Farish Beard (201 – 2013) in the contests.
- The 13 strikeouts also marked the seventh double-digit strikeout game of the season for Lackie moving her into a three-way tie for third all-time. It was also the fifth game that she has had 12 or more this spring.
- Lackie struck out the side in the top of the seventh – the 17th time this season that she has done so. The Walker, La., posted two or more strikeouts in five of her seven innings of work. She has now struck out two or more batters in an inning 69 times this year.
- Krzywiecki drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the fourth after an 11-pitch at-bat.
- Keel extended her hit streak to five games with her sixth-inning single.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the loss:
"Tonight we missed opportunities offensively. We have to find a way to put the ball in play with runners in scoring position. [Olivia] Lackie pitches well enough to win that game...we have to help her out at the plate."

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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