MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama held a one-run lead heading into the top of the seventh, but Georgia State scored a pair of two-out runs to rally back and take game one of the Sun Belt Conference series Friday night at Jaguar Field.

Key Moments
•    Georgia State (24-20, 4-9 SBC) took the early lead with a pair of runs in the opening frame after McKenzie Walker led off the game with an infield single, and then with two out, Lauren Brister drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left center for her sixth home run of the season (GSU, 2-0)
•    South Alabama answered back in the bottom half of the inning with three two-out runs off Makayla Stephens (16-10)
•    Virginia Mambelli got things started as she posted her sixth home run of the season with a solo shot to straight-away center on an 0-2 offering (GSU, 2-1)
•    Olivia Branstetter then lifted a 3-2 pitch and drove it to right center to tie the game (2-2) – her fifth of the season – and after a walk to Kara Wine, Sydney Stewart put the Jags on top with a RBI-double off wall in left (USA, 3-2) 
•    South Alabama had chances to add on some insurance placing runners in scoring position in the second, fourth and fifth innings, but were unable to add to its lead
•    The missed scoring opportunities would prove costly as Georgia State scored a pair of two-out runs to retake the lead in the top of the seventh
•    Ciarra Jefferson reached on a two-out bunt single and Walker followed with an infield single of her own – third hit of the game – to put runners at the corners
•    After Walker stole second to move into scoring position, Maya Bagsby bounced a single back up middle to score two (GSU, 4-3)
•    The Jaguars were able to put the tying run aboard and bring the potential game-winning runn to the plate as Mambelli was hit by a pitch with two outs, but Stephens was able to induce a foul out at home to end the game

Key Stats
•    South Alabama was 1-for-7 with runners on base and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and left seven runners on base in the loss
•    Mambelli reached in three of her four plate appearances as she was 2-for-3 with a single, a walk and the home run
•    Branstetter (home run) and Stewart each drove in a run, while Wine walked twice and scored a run
•    Ryley Harrison (12-9) struck out 10 batters and only issued one walk in the loss
•    Walker reached all four of her plate appearances as she was 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored
•    Bagsby also had a pair of hits and drove in two, while Brister plated two as well with her home run

Postgame Notes
•    Prior to the game, Sydney Stewart was recognized on her Senior Night
•    The 10 strikeouts by Harrison marked the second double-digit strikeout game of her career
•    The back-to-back home runs by Mambelli and Branstetter in the bottom of the first marked the first time two Jags have done so since Sasha Willems and Abby Allen hit back-to-back home runs vs. Tulsa (2/25/23) in the fourth inning with two outs
•    Branstetter has had a hit in five of her last eight, and driven in a run in four of her last seven
•    Lively has reached base safely in 13 of her last 15, and had a hit in 11 of her last 14 
•    Mambelli extended her career-best reached base safely streak to 12 straight, and the junior has done so in 18 of her last 19, including 15 games with a hit
•    Mambelli has had a hit in 17 of her last 22, driven in a run in four of her last six, and has scored a run in six of her nine games
•    The multi-hit game was the sixth of the season for Mambelli
•    Mambelli has 18 games with both a hit and a RBI this spring
•    Mambelli has reached base safely multiple times in a game either by hits, walks, or hit by pitch, 16 times this spring 
•    Stewart has reached base safely in three of her last four
•    Wine has reached base safely in 14 of her last 16, and with her walk, she has had either a hit, a walk or driven in a run in 23 of her last 29 games
•    With her fourth-inning walk, Brooklynn Bockhaus has reached base safely in five of her last seven

Up Next
•    South Alabama will take on Georgia State in game two of the series on Saturday with first pitch set for 3 p.m.

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