KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of South Alabama softball team fell twice on day two of the Tennessee Invitational, dropping a 9-0 decision in six innings and then seeing its rally attempt come up short as the Jags fell 5-3 to Virginia at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (5-13) will close out play at the Tennessee Invitational on Sunday versus Dartmoutj with first pitch set for 9 a.m. (CT).

TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL
Date: 3/5
Place: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)

SOUTH ALABAMA at No. 17 TENNESSEE
Final Score: Tennessee 
Records: Tennessee (13-6), South Alabama (5-12)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Erin Edmoundson (8-1)   LP – Allie Hughen (0-3)
Home Runs: UT: McKenna Gibson (3)

SCORING
- UT (1st Inn.) | McKenna Gibson walked, RBI; Amanda Ayala scored from third (0-1, 1 out)
- UT (1st Inn.) | Ashley Morgan hit by pitch, RBI; Rylie West scored from third (0-2, 1 out)
- UT (1st Inn.) | Ivey Davis singled to right, RBI: Zaida Puni scored from third (0-3, 1 out)
- UT (1st Inn.) | Madison Webber singled to center, 2 RBI; Gibson scored from third, Morgan scored from second (0-5, 1 out)
- UT (4th Inn.) | Gibson singled to left, 2 RBI; Ayala scored from third, West scored from second (0-7, 2 out)
- UT (6th Inn.) | Gibson homered to left center, 2 RBI; pinch runner Katie Taylor scored from first (0-9, 2 outs)

GAME FACTS
- Tennessee jumped out early with five runs on two hits, a walk and four hit batters in the opening frame sending 10 batters to the plate. 
- The Volunteers ended the game with five walks and six hit batters.
- South had at least one base runner in each of the first three innings, but only had one base runner over the final three innings.
- The Jaguars had a pair on with one out in the top of the third, but Edmoundson was able to get a double play to work out of the jam. 
- The senior pitcher then retired the next eight batters for South Alabama before Stephanie Gonzalez's two-out single in the top half of the sixth.
- With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Gibson walked it off with a two-run shot over the wall in left center.
- Gibson led all batters at the plate as she was 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and five runs driven in.
- Ayala and West also scored two runs apiece for Tennessee, while Webber drove in a pair.
- Edmoundson allowed just four hits in her six innings of work en route to picking up her eighth win of the season.

NOTES
- Saturday marked the fifth game against and Southeastern Conference opponent this spring. It was also the third series meeting versus the Volunteers.
- Victoria Ortiz's second-inning double was her team-leading fifth of the season and the 27th of her career moving her into a three-way tie for eighth on South's career list.
- Abby Allen extended her reached base safely streak to 13 games with her one-out walk in the third.
- Mackenzie Brasher had her seven-game reached base safely streak come to an end.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. VIRGINIA
Final Score: Virginia 5, South Alabama 3
Records: Virginia (12-8), South Alabama (5-13)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Mikayla Hogue (6-2)  SV – Mackenzie Wooten (1)   LP – Olivia Lackie (3-3)
Home Runs: USA: Abby Allen (3), Emma Kropp (1); UVA: Leah Boggs (4), Katie Goldberg (5), Tori Gilbert (5), Gabby Baylog (2)

SCORING
- UVA (1st Inn.) | Boggs homered to left, 2 RBI; Sarah Coon scored from first (0-2, 1 out)
- UVA (3rd Inn.) | Goldberg homered to left, RBI (0-3, 2 out) 
- UVA (3rd Inn.) | Gilbert homered to left, RBI (0-4, 2 out)
- UVA (3rd Inn.) | Baylog homered to right center, RBI (0-5, 2 out)
- USA (6th Inn.) | Caroline Nichols grounds out to second, RBI; Mackenzie Brasher scored from third (1-5, 1 out)
- USA (6th Inn.) | Allen homered to left, RBI (2-5, 2 out)
- USA (7th Inn.) | Kropp homered to center, RBI (3-5, 2 out)

GAME FACTS
- UVA took an early lead on Bogg's two-run, first-inning home run to left.
- Victoria Ortiz led off the third with a double to the gap in right center, but she was stranded at third.
- The Cavs then added to their lead as Goldberg, Gilbert and Baylog went back-to-back-to-back with two outs in the third to extend the UVA lead to 5-0.
- South Alabama got on the board with two runs in the sixth. Brasher reached on an infield single to lead the inning off. She then moved to third after rec stolen base and a wild pitch, and then came home on Nichols' RBI ground out to second.
- Allen then drove a 1-2 offering from Hogue over the wall in left to cut the deficit to three (5-2).
- Kropp then blasted her first career home run to straight-away center to make it 5-3.
- The Jag catcher also threw out two UVA base runners attempting to steal in the game. She has now thrown out five base runners this spring.

NOTES
- The meeting was the third in the all-time series between the two clubs.
- Allen's sixth-inning home run extended her reached base safely streak to 14 games. 
- It was her third home run of the season – which leads the team – matching her total from all of her freshman campaign. Both of Allen's home runs this weekend have come against the Cavilers. 
- With her second-inning strikeout of Bailey Winscott, Lackie recorded her 300th career strikeout at South Alabama. She now has 302 for her career.
- Ortiz posted her 28th career double – sixth of the season – moving her into eighth place on the Jaguars' career chart.
- The four home runs allowed by Jaguar pitching mark the second time this season that USA has allowed an opponent (LSU, 2/12). It also is tied for second-most allowed in a single game.
- Bogg's first-inning home run was her second of the weekend versus the Jags. In two games this weekend against the Jags Virginia has recorded six.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On Saturday's two games: 
"We dug a hole early against Tennessee and were never able to recover. In the second game we were able to get a rally going but weren't able to finish. We have to pick up tomorrow morning where we left off tonight."

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—