MONROE, La. – Kamdyn Kvistad's seventh-inning home run proved to be the difference for University of South Alabama softball team as the Jags held off a late rally attempt by ULM and clinched the Sun Belt Conference series with the 5-4 win at the ULM Softball Complex on Saturday.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (19-17, 11-4 SBC) will conclude the three-game Sun Belt Conference series on Sunday with first pitch versus the Warhawks set for noon.

Date: 4/23
Place: ULM Softball Complex (Monroe, La.)

Final Score: South Alabama 5, ULM 4
Records: South Alabama (19-17, 11-4 SBC), ULM (23-19, 9-11 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Jenna Hardy (7-8)  SV – Olivia Lackie (3)  LP – Victoria Abrams (7-5)
Home Runs: USA: Kamdyn Kvistad (4)

SCORING
- USA (3rd Inn.) | Caroline Nichols tripled to left, RBI; Meredith Keel scored from first (1-0, 0 out)
- USA (3rd Inn.) | Nichols scored on a wild pitch (2-0, 1 out)
- USA (4th Inn.) | Keel singled to left, RBI; Gabby Stagner scored from second (3-0, 2 out)
- ULM (4th Inn.) | Jacelyn Buck scored on an error, (3-1, 0 out)
- ULM (4th Inn.) | Abrams singled up the middle, 2 RBI; Gabby Davila scored from third, Korie Kreps scored from second.
- USA (5th Inn.) | Victoria Ortiz doubled to left center, RBI; Mackenzie Brasher scored from second (4-3, 0 out)
- USA (7th Inn.) | Kvistad homered to left center, RBI (5-3, 0 out)
- ULM (7th Inn.) | Buck flied out to left, sacrifice fly, RBI; Alexis Chavez scored from third (5-4, 1 out)

GAME FACTS
- Keel walked to lead off the third inning and South Alabama made the most of its first hit of the contest as Nichols tripled to left to score the first run of the game (1-0). Nichols later came home on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0.
- ULM loaded the bases with two away in the bottom half of the inning after a walk, a single and an error Jaguar catcher Emma Kropp was able to get South Alabama out of the jam as she corralled a wild pitch and dove back to get Alexis Chavez at home preventing the score.
- Stagner and Belle Wolfenden led off the fourth with back-to-back infield singles and Abrams looked as if she was going to leave the two Jag runners stranded with back-to-back strikeouts, but Keel lined a two-out single to left, which allowed Stagner to race home from second and extend South's lead to 3-0.
- The Warhawks began the bottom half of the fourth with a pair of singles and on Kreps' fielder's choice, the throw to get the runner at third was errant allowing Buck to score (3-1). Abrams then delivered a two-run single back up the middle to plate a pair of runs and tie the game up at 3-3.
- The game only stayed tied for two batters, as Brasher walked and stole second to move into scoring position, and Ortiz then doubled to the gap in left center to put South back in front, 4-3.
- ULM threatened in the bottom of the fifth, placing a pair of runners on with one away, but Hardy was able to strike out Buck and get Davila to fly out to left to preserve the one-run Jaguar lead.
- South Alabama added some insurance in the top half of the seventh. Kvistad drove a 2-2 change up deep over the wall in left center to put the Jags up two (5-3).
- Chavez walked for the second time in the game to start the bottom half of the seventh and Kennedy Johnson's line was just out of the reach of Brasher, falling in for a double to put runners at second and third with one away. Buck's sacrifice fly to left plated a run to trim the South lead to one (5-4). However, Lackie was able to get Kassidy Giddens to strike out swinging to end the game and clinch the series win for the Jaguars.
- Eight Jags recorded at least one hit in the contest led by Keel's 2-for-2 performance. The senior reached base safely all three of her plate appearances as she drew a walk, drove in a run and scored a run.
- Brasher had a hit, a walk and stole a bases, while scoring a run, and Kvistad and Ortiz were also credited with a RBI.
- ULM was paced b Johnson's 2-for-4 showing, while Abrams drove in a pair. 

NOTES
- South Alabama had a streak of nine-straight games snapped in which it had scored in the opening frame.
- With the third-inning triple, Nichols extended her hit streak to five games. 
- The RBI was also the eighth of her Jaguar career, five of which have come during the 2022 season.
- Keel has had a hit in four straight and two-hit games in her last three.
- With her two hits, Keel moved into a tie for 25th-place at South Alabama in multi-hit games (22). She now has 34 for her collegiate career overall.
- Brasher extended her reached base safely streak to 19 games with her walk in the fifth, which is tied for the 10th longest streak in program history.
- Her next time up, Brasher extended her career-best hit streak to nine games with her sixth-inning single. 
- Ortiz's fifth-inning double extended her reached base streak to 13 games and was her 30th career double and 50th career extra-base hit.
- The home run by Kvistad was the 32nd of her Jag career and the 115th RBI, moving her into a tie for third all-time at South in the category with Christin Crocker (2009-12).
- Three of Kvistad's four home runs have come to lead off an inning this spring and the 11th of her career.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the series-clinching win: 
"We fought through some tough spots today and were able to come away with the win. Every game is important going down the stretch, so it was huge for us to hold on to the win. We have to show up again tomorrow ready to fight for another W."

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—