STATESBORO, Ga. | Meredith Keel drove in the eventual game-winner with an RBI single in the eighth and Jenna Hardy retired the final three batters of the game with two aboard, as South Alabama took game one of the series with Georgia Southern, 5-4 in extra innings at Eagle Field at the GS Softball Complex.

South Alabama (30-13, 12-4 SBC) had five players had two hits apiece led by Keel who drove in a run and walked once. Victoria Ortiz, Gabby Stagner, Odalys Cordova and Bailey Welch also had two hits and scored a run each, while Ortiz, Welch and Cordova also drove in a run. Stagner and Welch also drew a walk.

Olivia Lackie struck out eight and all four runs scored by the Eagles were unearned in her six innings of work in the circle. Hardy (13-7) tossed two innings of scoreless relief and struck out a pair.

Georgia Southern (17-24, 6-10 SBC) was led by Faith Barth's three RBI performance and two hits each from Janai Conklin and Brooke Kell.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the game: "These close games are great for us. We need to be in and work through those pressure situations. We were able to get the hit at the end when we needed it. We know every game over here will be a dog fight, so we have to be ready to do it again tomorrow."

Senior 3B Meredith Keel
- On her eighth-inning at-bat: "During my last at-bat, I knew I needed to stay simple and trust my eyes. I had been seeing the ball well all night, so at that moment, I fought until she gave me a pitch I could drive up the middle."

- On the defensive play in the bottom half of the inning: "Getting the out at third on the sac bunt attempt was huge for us. In the bottom of the seventh, I missed an opportunity to get the lead runner out at second. Being in the same situation, I knew I needed to capitalize on what they were trying to do."

Senior P Jenna Hardy
- On pitching out of trouble: "I knew going out on the field, that I just had to do my best and trust my defense to help me get the job done. When we work together, everything just flows."

- On the team battling back: "It's always tough battling in extra innings, but we worked hard to put that one run, and were able to hold on for the win in the eighth."

South Alabama 5, Georgia Southern (8 inn.)
Emma Davis led off the bottom of the first with an infield single and Courtney Ball reached on a Jag error while attempting to advance the runner, but after a foul out behind home plate, Lackie came back and struck out the next two batters to strand the Eagle runners.

Stagner lined a one-out double off the wall in left in the Jags' half of the second, and Sophia Mendoza drew a two-out walk to put a pair aboard. Welch then singled back up the middle and Stagner scored when the ball was booted by the GS second baseman, giving South the 1-0 advantage.

After a fielder's choice, a steal of second and a fly out to right moved Mackenzie Brasher to third, Ortiz drove the ball the other way with an RBI single to left, scoring the Jag center fielder.

Cordova led off the South Alabama fourth with a double to the gap in left center, and two batters later, Welch recorded her second hit in as many at-bats to bring around the Jag second baseman and extend the lead to 3-0.

Ortiz lined a two-out double down the right field line in the fifth, who then moved to third on a pitch in the dirt. Stagner then drew a walk to put runners at the corners and Cordova beat the ball to first for an infield single as she dove for the bag, scoring Ortiz from third (4-0). The play was challenged by the Eagles, but replay confirmed the call on the field.

In the bottom half of the fifth, Georgia Southern tied the game up with four unearned runs after a pair of Jaguar errors. Katie Perkins lined a single to center to start the frame, and Kell singled to put two runners on for the Eagles. Georgia Southern then loaded the bases after Davis reached on a fielding error. Two batters later, Barth doubled to right to plate three runs and trim the Jag lead to 4-3. GS then tied the game up on a single by Conklin.

South Alabama loaded the bases after back-to-back two-out singles in the sixth by Keel and Brasher and when Sasha Willems was hit by a pitch, but Davis made a sliding catch in shallow left to end the inning.

Kell led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single, who was then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Davis. With the go-ahead runner at third, Jenna Hardy was able to get Barth to ground out to short to send the game into extra innings.

Welch walked on four-straight out of the zone to start the eighth, and after being sacrificed to second by Marley Sims, Keel lined a single back up the middle to plate Welch and give South the 5-4 lead.

Conklin dropped in a single that was just out of Welch's reach and Dejah Mills followed with a single, however Keel made an outstanding defensive play to get the lead runner at third on a sac bunt attempt. Hardy then struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Scoring Summary
•    2nd Inn | Welch singled up the middle; Stagner scored on an error by 2b, unearned (1-0, USA)
•    3rd Inn | Ortiz singled to left, RBI; Brasher scored (2-0, USA)
•    4th Inn | Welch singled to right center, RBI; Cordova scored (3-0, USA)
•    5th Inn | Cordova infield single to 2b, RBI; Ortiz scored (4-0, USA)
•    5th Inn | Barth doubled to right, 3 RBI; Perkins scored, unearned, Kell scored, unearned, Davis scored, unearned (3-4, GS)
•    5th Inn | Conklin singled through the left side, RBI; Barth scored, unearned (4-4, GS)
•    8th Inn | Keel singled back up the middle, RBI; Welch scored (5-4, USA)

Postgame Notes
•    Of South's 11 hits, six came in two-out situations
•    The start was the first of Mendoza's collegiate career, and the walk was her sixth of the season
•    With her third-inning walk, Keel has reached base safely in 19 of her last 21 contests, including 12 of her last 13
•    Keel has also now had at least one hit in 30 of South's 43 games this spring
•    Ortiz moved into a tie with Amanda Minahan (114, 2014-17) for fifth on the all-time RBI list at South with her third-inning RBI
•    Ortiz has had a hit in 19 of her last 25, and reached base safely in a career-best 20 games, which moves her into the Top 10 at South in the category
•    Ortiz's 20-game streak is now tied with Tara Donaldson's streak for 10th longest set during the 2009 season
•    Brasher has scored at least one run in 12 of her last 20 – 20 runs 
•    Cordova has had a hit in 10 of her last 15 with her double, and reached base safely in 12 of her last 14

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue the series with the Eagles on Saturday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. (CT) at Eagle Field.

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