MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped the series finale to Texas State Sunday afternoon, falling 3-0 to the Bobcats at Jaguar Field.
UP NEXT
- South Alabama (12-14, 5-1 SBC) will head back out on the road for a three-game league series at Georgia State next weekend. USA will take on Georgia State at Robert E. Heck Field in Decatur, Ga., with game one of the series set for a 4 p.m. (CT) first pitch. Games two and three are both scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. (CT).
Date: 3/20
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)
Final Score: Texas State 3, South Alabama 0
Records: Texas State (14-12, 2-4 SBC), South Alabama (12-14, 5-1 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Jessica Mullins (9-8) LP – Olivia Lackie (6-4)
Home Runs: TXST: Sara Vanderford (4)
SCORING
- TXST (4th Inn.) | Vanderford homered to left center, RBI (0-1, 1 out)
- TXST (6th Inn.) | Claire Ginder flied out to right, sacrifice fly, RBI; Ciara Trahan scored from third (0-2, 1 out)
- TXST (7th Inn.) | Hannah Earls singled to short stop, RBI; pinch runner Cat Crenek scored from third, unearned (0-3, 2 out)
GAME FACTS
- Lackie picked up right where she left off Friday night as she posted seven strikeouts over the first three innings.
- After allowing South's first two batters to reach, Mullins battled back and struck out the next three.
- With one out in the fourth inning, Vanderford drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left center, which was the first hit allowed by Lackie.
- Texas State loaded the bases after three-straight one-out singles in the top of the sixth and doubled its lead (2-0) on a sacrifice fly to right as Trahan just beat the throw home.
- The Bobcats added an insurance run in their half of the seventh. Caitlyn Rogers doubled down the left field line and after a passed ball moved Crenek, pinch running for Rogers, to third, Earls' RBI infield single made it 3-0.
- South Alabama had a base runner on each inning, but was 0-for-14 at the plate with runners on.
- Mullins didn't allow a runner passed second and was able to get a pair of line-out double plays.
- Mullins struck out eight and scattered three hits and three walks, while also pitching around a pair of Bobcat errors.
- Lackie struck out 11 and walked just one for South Alabama.
- Vanderford and Anna Jones each had two hits apiece for Texas State, while the Jags were limited to just three hits.
- Mackenzie Brasher was the lone Jag to reach base multiple times on Sunday as she had a walk and a hit.
NOTES
- The loss snaps both South Alabama's seven-game win streak and its six-game win streak in the series.
- Despite the loss, the 5-1 conference start is tied with the 2013 club for the third-best start to Sun Belt play after the first six games.
- Abby Allen had her 21-game reached base safely streak come to an end as she was 0-for-3.
- Brasher extended her reached base safely streak to nine games with her first-inning walk.
- Caroline Nichols has also reached base safely each of her last eight games and had a hit in three-straight after her single in the bottom of the first.
- The 11 strikeouts marked the third double-digit tally for Lackie this spring and the 11th of her career, moving her into fourth all-time in the category.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game:
"For the most part pitching and defense gave us a chance. Offensively, we had our opportunities and unfortunately were unable to push runs across. We have to figure out how to put balls in play in those situations. Sunday is always a grit it out day, especially against good teams, and we did not grind it out as a team today."
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—
