BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of South Alabama softball team rallied back and picked up a 7-4 win over Central Arkansas in game one of the tournament on Friday, but dropped a 3-0 decision to tournament host and 14-th ranked LSU on the opening day of the Tiger Classic at Tiger Park.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (1-1) will take on Illinois Saturday morning at 10 am and then face the Tigers at 3 p.m. 

TIGER CLASSIC
Date: 2/11
Place: Tiger Park (Baton Rouge, La.)

Game 1: South Alabama vs. Central Arkansas
Final Score: South Alabama 7, Central Arkansas 4
Records: South Alabama (1-0), Central Arkansas (0-1)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Katelyn Hughes (1-0)   SV – Olivia Lackie (1)   LP – Jordan Johnson (0-1_
Home Runs: USA: Abby Allen (1)

SCORING
- UCA (T1st inn.) | Tremere Harris singled to right field, RBI; Jenna Wildman scored from second (1-0, 0 outs)
- USA (B1st Inn.) | Kamdyn Kvistad sacrifice fly to center field, RBI; Caroline Nichols scored from third (1-1, 1 out)
- USA (B3rd Inn.) | Victoria Oritiz singled through the left side of the infield; Mackenzie Brasher scored from third (2-1. 1 out)
- USA (B4th Inn.) | Allen home run to left center, RBI (3-1, 2 out)
- UCA (T5th Inn.) | Wildeman scored from first (unearned) on a two-base throwing error (3-2, 0 outs)
- UCA (T5th Inn.) | Emiily Sampson hit by pitch; Mary Brown scored from third (unearned) (3-3, 2 outs)
- UCA (T5th Inn.) | Lexi McClellan reaches on infield hit; Emily Perry scored from third (4-3, 2 outs)
- USA (B5th Inn.) | Kvistad singled to left field; Nichols scored from second base (4-4, 1 outs)
- USA (B5th Inn.) | Kennedy Cronan doubled off the wall in left; Ortiz scored from third, pinch runner Janeah Finney scored from second (6-4, 1 out)
- USA (B5th Inn.) | Belle Wolfenden singled up the middle; pinch runner Erin McGlothlin scored from second (7-4, 2 outs)

GAME FACTS
- In her first game back since suffering a season-ending injury last spring, Hughen went four innings, allowing just the first inning run, while striking out eight, walking three on three hits. 
- After Mary Brown's first-inning single, Hughen retired eight straight from the first to third innings, striking out six straight at one point. The streak was ended by a two-out walk to Brown.
- UCA scored its three runs on three hits, two hit batters and one costly Jag error in its half of the fifth as all three were unearned. South Alabama answered with four runs on five hits in bottom half of the fifth to retake the lead.
- Lackie struck out five of the seven batters she faced and was able to get ahead 0-2 in the count three times. 
- As a staff, USA recorded 13 strikeouts in the contest.
- South Alabama was 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left just two batters on base. Central Arkansas stranded nine runners in the loss.
- USA was also 3-for-4 with a runner at third and less than two outs, while the Bears went 0-for-6 at the plate in those opportunities.
- The 1-4 batters in the Jaguar lineup went a combined 6-for-10, scoring four runs and driving in five.

NOTES
- The win marked the 625th career victory of South Alabama head coach Becky Clark.
- The meeting versus Central Arkansas marked the third straight season that the Jaguars have opened the season outside the state of Alabama.
- It also marked the seventh meeting in the all-time series between the two clubs and the first since the 2017 season. 
- The win snapped a streak of four-straight season-opening losses for the Jags and was the first win to begin a spring since USA picked up a 9-3 win over Central Arkansas in Mobile to start 2017.
- With her 2-for-2 performance at the plate, Nichols posted her 10th career multi-hit game. The leadoff triple in the bottom of the first was first of the senior's career and just her third career extra-base hit.
- The save was the fifth of Lackie's career. She has now gotten ahead 0-2 in the count to 186 batters in her Jag career going on to strike out 106 of them.
- Allen has now homered in three of her last five games dating back to last spring's Sun Belt Conference Championship game.
- The two RBI performance by both Kvistad and Cronan marked the 24th and 23rd, respectively, multi-RBI games of their careers. 
- Kvistad moved into a tie for ninth with former Jag Chloe Rathburn in the category, while Cronan moved into a tie for 10th on the list. 

Game 2: South Alabama at No. 14 LSU
Final Score: LSU 3, South Alabama 0
Records: LSU (1-0), South Alabama (1-1)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Shelbi Sunseri (1-0)   LP – Allie Hughen (0-1)
Home Runs: LSU: Georgia Clark (1)

SCORING
- LSU (B1st Inn.) | Clark home run to left center field, 2 RBI; Shelbi Sunseri scored (2-0, 2 outs)
- LSU (B2nd Inn.) | Ciara Briggs bases loaded walk; Coffey scored from third (3-0, 1 out)

GAME FACTS
- Leading 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, LSU threatened to extend its lead placing runners at second and third with two away, but Jenna Hardy was able to hold the Tigers off the scoreboard as she got Taylor Pleasants swinging to end the inning.
- Hardy was outstanding in relief as she tossed 4.2 innings of scoreless work in the circle, scattering three hits, striking out a pair while not issuing a walk.
- After Nichols' two-out single in the third. Sunseri retired the next 10 Jaguar batters – and 13 of the final 14 to end the game –  with six of those out coming on ground balls.
- Sunseri went the distance for LSU and recorded the complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out five.
- In addition to her five strikeouts, Sunseri registered eight ground-ball outs and held USA to just 1-of-7 hitting with runners on.

NOTES
- Friday marked the 14th series meeting between the two clubs. All but one of those meetings have come in Baton Rouge.
- Since defeating LSU, 2-1 in Baton Rouge back on Feb. 15, 2014, South has been held to just two runs over the last seven meetings.
- The shut out marked the ninth time the Tigers have held the Jags scoreless in the series.
- In her two games of action on Friday, Nichols reached base safely in five of her seven plate appearances, recording a sacrifice hit in one of those opportunities and walking once

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the opening day of the season: 
"We had some great moments today and then some areas that need to improve. Overall, I thought the effort was there and we competed in both games"
- On being able to respond and rally back in game one: 
"We showed a lot of composure in game one and fought our way through the rough spots. Allie [Hughen] gave us a great start and Liv [Olivia Lackie] did a good job of closing it down after getting the lead. Our offense backed them up and put pressure on them [Central Arkansas] the whole game."
- On Jenna Hardy's performance in relief in game two: 
"I was proud of Jenn for coming in and shutting them [LSU] down. She took care of her innings and gave us a chance to get back in it. We just couldn't take advantage."

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.

—USA—