KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of South Alabama softball team split its opening two games of the Tennessee Invitational on Friday as the Jags earned a 1-0 walk-off win over Dartmouth in the opener and then fell 6-4 to Virginia in game two at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (5-11) will return to action with a pair of games on Saturday taking on Tennessee at 11:30 a.m. (CT) with the second game of the day to be determined.

TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL
Date: 3/4
Place: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. DARTMOUTH 
Final Score: South Alabama 1, Dartmouth 0 [8 inns.]
Records: South Alabama (5-10), Dartmouth (2-4)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (3-2)   LP – Brooke Plonka (1-3)

SCORING
- USA (8th Inn.) | Meredith Keel sacrifice fly to right, RBI; Victoria Ortiz scored from third (1-0, 1 out)

GAME FACTS
- Dartmouth placed its first runner in scoring position as Izzy Kam dropped in a single that was misplayed allowing her to advance to second, but Allie Hughen struck out the side to keep the game scoreless.
- After allowing a one-out hit to Mackenzie Brasher and a hit batter, Plonka retired the next 12 Jag batters retiring the side in the second, third and fourth innings.
- Emma Kropp's one-out hit in the bottom half of the fifth snapped the streak. 
- Meredith Keel had a one-out triple in the bottom of the sixth, but Plonka was able to get a foul out and a strikeout to leave the Jag runner stranded.
- South had another chance to break the scoreless tie in the bottom half of the seventh placing a pair on with one out, but Plonka was able to retire the final two batters and send the game into extra innings.
- With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, the Big Green were able to place a pair in scoring position, but Lackie was able to get a fly out to end the inning.
- South Alabama took advantage of the missed opportunity as the Jags placed runners at the corners after a bunt single by Bailey Welch. Keel then lifted a ball to right that was deep enough to allow Ortiz to score from third for the game winner.
- Hughen tossed seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out a career high 12 batters. The senior had multiple strikeout innings in five of her seven innings of work, striking out the side in the second and the fifth.
- She also posted four 1-2-3 innings, and was able to get ahead of 11 of the first 14 Dartmouth batters with a first-pitch strike, and 16 for the game. Hughen also started out 0-2 in the count 10 times versus the Big Green.
- Lackie struck out two in her one inning of work, giving South a season-high 14 on the day. USA pitching had a 75.2 strike percentage against Dartmouth.
- Both teams struggled offensively with runners on as they left a combined nine batters on, were 1-for-17 with runners on and 1-for-14 runners in scoring position.

NOTES
- The meeting versus the Big Green marked just the third in the all-time series and the first since 2017 when the two clubs split a doubleheader in Mobile at the South Alabama Invitational.
- Dartmouth is the lone Ivy League school that the Jags have faced.
- Abby Allen extended her reached base safely streak to 11 games in the bottom of the first as she was hit by a pitch.
- Hughen's second strikeout of the fifth inning set a new career high for the senior and her strikeout to end the top of the inning marked the first double-digit strikeout tally by a Jaguar pitcher this spring 
- The win marked the second walk-off win of the spring for South Alabama and was the first extra-inning victory since defeating Texas State 4-3 at the Sun Belt Championships in the semifinal round last spring. 
- South's 14 strikeouts eclipsed the previous hit of 13 recorded against Central Arkansas in the season opener.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. VIRGINIA
Final Score: Virginia 6, South Alabama 4
Records: Virginia (10-7), South Alabama (5-11)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Savanah Henley (3-4)   LP – Jenna Hardy (1-7)
Home Runs: USA: Abby Allen (2); UVA Leah Boggs (2), Tori Gilbert (4)

SCORING
- UVA (1st Inn.) | Boggs reaches on an error by first base (throw), sac bunt; Lauren VanAssche scored from second, (0-1, 0 out)
- UVA (1st Inn.) | Katie Goldberg grounded out to second, RBI; Sarah Coon scored from third, (0-2, 1 out)
- UVA (1st Inn.) | Abby Weaver grounded out to second, RBI; Boggs scored from third, unearned (0-3, 2 out)
- USA (4th Inn.) | Allen homered to left, RBI (1-3, 1 out)
- USA (6th Inn.) | Kassidy Wilcox walked, RBI; Keel scored from third (2-3, 1 out)
- USA (6th Inn.) | Stephanie Gonzalez doubled to left, 2 RBI; Mackenzie Brasher scored from third, Allen scored from second (4-3, 1 out)
- UVA (6th Inn.) | Boggs homered to left center, RBI (4-4, 1 out)
- UVA (7th Inn.) | Gilbert (pinch-hit) homered to left center, 2 RBI (4-6, 1 out)

GAME FACTS
- UVA had the first three batters reach and plated three runs in the bottom half of the first on two hits and an error. 
- Allen drove an 0-2 pitch from Mikayla Houge over the wall in left to cut the deficit to 3-1. 
- After scoring just two runs through the first 13 innings of the day, South erupted for three in the top half of the sixth. USA loaded the bases with one out and Wilcox drew a walk to plate and Gonzalez delivered a two-run double to left to put the Jags up 4-3.
- Houge had allowed just two hits over first five innings of the contest.
- After allowing the first three batters for Virginia to reach, Hardy retired the next 14 batters Bailey Winscott's two-out single in the fifth.
- UVA tied the game back up (4-4) on Boggs home run to left center in the bottom half of the sixth.
- Ortiz led off the top of the seventh with a double to left and moved to third with two outs, but she was left stranded after a pop out on the infield ended the inning.
- Gabby Baylog walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Two batters later, Gilbert lifted a ball high over the wall in left center off the scoreboard to end the game and give UVA the two-run win.
- Allen scored a pair of runs and reached base safely in two of her three plate appearances. Wilcox also reached base safely with a hit and a walk and drove in a run for South.
- South Alabama was just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position – Gonzalez had the lone hit of the contest.

NOTES
- The meeting versus the Cavilers marked just the second in the all-time series with the two clubs facing off last season during the opening weekend of play at the Red & Black Classic hosted by Georgia.
- With her home run in the fourth, Allen extended her reached base safely streak to 12 games. Her home run was the fourth this spring by an underclassman.
- Boggs' home run marked the 11th solo home run allowed by Jag pitching this spring.
- Ortiz's double to start the seventh was her fourth of the season and the 26th of her Jaguar career, moving her into a four-way tie for 10th place on the career list at South.
- The loss marked the second time an opponent has walked off a game in its final at bat this spring.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On Friday's two games: 
"Allie [Hughen] pitched her best game of the season and gave us a chance until we pushed the run across in the opener. I feel like this weekend we can really get her going. In game two, we got production from the middle of the order. Steph's [Gonzalez] double was huge and she's another one I think will get going this weekend. It's great to see a freshman stepping up in such big situation."

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—