MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team left 11 runners on base Friday afternoon, which proved costly as Coastal Carolina eliminated the Jaguars with a 3-0 victory from the Sun Belt Conference Championship held at Jaguar Field.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Date: 5/13
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: No. 9 Seed – Coastal Carolina 3, No. 2 Seed – South Alabama 0
Records: Coastal Carolina (24-28), South Alabama (25-21)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Mady Volpe (3-5)  LP – Jenna Hardy (8-10)
Home Runs: CCU: Abby Jankay (5)

SCORING
- CCU (1st Inn.) | Keirstin Rouse grounded out to second, RBI; Makiaya Thomas scored from third (0-1, 1 out)
- CCU (3rd Inn.) | Riley Zana doubled to right center, RBI; Abbey Montoya scored from second (0-2, 2 out)
- CCU (6th Inn.) | JanKay homered to left, RBI (0-3, 2 out)

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama placed a pair on with two outs in the top of the first. Victoria Ortiz lined a single to center – her fifth hit of the tournament – and Kamdyn Kvistad was hit by a pitch, but Volpe was able to get a fly out to center to strand the pair.
- Coastal took advantage of the missed scoring opportunity the next half inning. Thomas led off the bottom of the opening frame with a single back up the middle, who later stole second to move into scoring position. CCU then put runners at the corners with another single to center off the bat of Zana. The Chanticleers then took a 1-0 lead on Rouse's RBI ground out.
- Kassidy Wilcox dropped in a single in shallow left to begin the Jag second, who was then moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Allie Hughen was hit by a pitch two batters later to put a pair on with two away, but Volpe recorded a strike out to end the frame.
- After South left a runner stranded for the third time in as many innings, the Chants added to their lead in the bottom half of the third. Montoya singled to left with two outs and stole second before coming home on Zana's double to the gap in right center.
- Wilcox reached for the second time as she drew a leadoff walk and two batters later, Belle Wolfenden drew a free pass to put a pair aboard for the Jaguars. With two outs in the inning, both Wilcox and Wolfenden moved up a base on a wild pitch, but Volpe recorded a strikeout to work out of the jam.
- Mackenzie Brasher beat out an infield single to start the fifth inning – a play which was reviewed and upheld. She then moved into scoring position with her 20th steal of the spring and the 31st of her career. Kvistad was hit by a pitch for the third time in the contest with one out, but Volpe was again able to get out the inning by retiring the next two batters.
- Wolfenden drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. With two away in the sixth, Gabby Stagner nearly tied the contest up with a long fly ball down the line in left, but it was ruled foul. Volpe was able to get a strikeout swinging on the next pitch to hold the lead for Coastal.
- With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Jankay extended the Chanticleer advantage to 3-0 as she drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left, her fifth homer of the season.
- Ortiz singled to left with one out in the top of the seventh – her second hit of the afternoon, but that was where the rally attempt ended as Volpe retired the next two batters. 
- South Alabama left at least one runner on base – 11 total – each of the first five innings, and six in scoring position and multiple in all but the third and sixth innings.
- For the game, the Jaguars were 0-for-14 with runners on base and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
- Kvistad was hit by pitch each of her first three plate appearances.
- Ortiz finished the contest 2-for-4 at the plate, while Brasher and Wilcox had South's other two hits.
- Zana was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a RBI, while Thomas also had a pair of hits and scored a run. 
- Volpe went the distance for the Chants scattering four hits, walking three and striking out six.

NOTES
- The meeting marked the first between the two clubs in the postseason.
- Ortiz had homered in each of her last three games coming into the contest, but she was held without one in the loss.
- The multi-hit game for Ortiz marked her eighth of the season and the 30th of her Jaguar career, moving her into a tie for 16th all-time in the category.
- With her caught stealing in the bottom of the fifth, Jag catcher Emma Kropp has thrown out six base runners, which is tied for fifth-most in a season. Jaguar catching has also thrown out 10 runners as well after registering 12 total the last two seasons combined.
- Of the 35 home runs allowed by South Alabama pitching, 27 have been solo shots.
- The 11 runners left on base were the most when shutout since leaving 12 on base vs. Troy (5/2/09).

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- Opening statement: 
 "Congratulations to Coastal, I thought they outplayed us. We didn't make the adjustments we needed to make. It's a really tough way to end the season. Hats off to Coach Green."
- On what she felt kept South's hitters off balance: 
"I think we kept ourselves off balance, trying to do too much. We had a plan for what she was doing with us, it didn't work out for us today. We got to get better."
- On the lack of production with runners on base being atypical: 
"No, it's not normal, but it's the formula to get beat. I think you have to dig in and find ways to win games. That was my message to them yesterday after the Texas State loss; you have to dig in and figure out ways to win those close games. I don't have an answer, I wish I did."
- On what they need to do to regroup and move forward: 
"Great question. I think the thing I just told them [after the game] was I want to have a meeting with our returners. We need to get in a room and we need to work some things out, figure some things out. This is not the expectation for the program. I think if you get beat fighting tooth and nail, then you can live with that as a coach. I thought there were places in there when we needed to dig in and figure it out and we didn't do it, that's really hard to stomach considering everything we've been through as a team this year and everything that we've fought through. I don't think we 100 percent dug in and said we're not going to get beat, that's tough to deal with."

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.

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