MOBILE, Ala. | Texas State's Madison Azua struck out eight as the Bobcats took the series opener from South Alabama, 5-1 Thursday night at Jaguar Field.
Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the loss: "We gave away too many opportunities tonight. I thought we had plenty of chances and just didn't get it done. We have to take care of the little stuff going into tomorrow."
Key Moments
• South Alabama (23-16, 7-3 SBC) threatened to push across a run in the bottom of the first, placing runners at the corners after back-to-back, one-out hits by
Gracie Dees (double) and
Virginia Mambelli (single), but Azua (16-9) was able to work out of the jam with a fielder's choice out at home and then a strikeout to end the inning
• In the Jaguar second,
Sydney Stewart sent a 3-1 pitch to left and it looked as if the ball would have enough, but Texas State (23-15, 5-5 SBC) left fielder Harley Vestal was able to grab it and bring it back to keep the game scoreless
• The Bobcats broke the scoreless tie in their half of the third with a pair of unearned runs as Kat Zarate double off the base of the wall in left to lead off the inning and after being sacrificed over to third, the second baseman then came home on an errant throw on a pickoff attempt (TXST, 1-0)
• Texas State added another unearned run two batters later as Sami Hood (HBP) came in on a sac fly to foul territory by Keely Williams (TXST, 2-0)
• Mambelli drew a two-out walk, moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Azua ended the inning with a fly out to right center
•
Lillie Stagner lined a one-out single to right in South's half of the fourth and Stewart sent another fly ball to center, but it was caught at the wall
• Texas State had a chance to extend its lead in the fifth as Zarate recorded her second hit of the night with a one-out single to center and Megan Kelnar followed with a walk, but
Ryley Harrison (12-7) retired the next two Bobcat batters with an infield fly and then a strikeout of Williams
•
Brooklynn Bockhaus drew a walk to start the next half inning and moved to third on a two-base error by Texas State on a failed pickoff attempt, before coming home on
Presley Lively's RBI-single to left (TXST, 2-1)
• South had a chance to possibly tie the game in the inning as Lively advanced to second on a wild pitch, but she was then thrown out to at third trying to advance
• The Bobcats got the run right back in the sixth as Aiyana Coleman drove a 2-1 pitch to straight away center for her 10th home run of the season (TXST 3-1)
• Texas State added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Williams plated a pair of runs with a double to the left-center gap (TXST, 5-1)
Key Stats
• Lively was one of four Jags to record a hit and drove in the lone run for South Alabama
• Williams, Vestal and Zarte were each 2-for-3 with Williams driving in three for the Bobcats
Postgame Notes
• The first-inning double by Dees marked her 12th of the season, tying her for third-most by a freshman at South Alabama
• Dees has had a hit in 14 of her last 21 – including eight of her last 13 – and has recorded at least one hit in 27 of last her last 37 games
• With her first-inning single, Mambelli has reached base safely in eight-straight, and 14 of her last 15, including 12 games with a hit
• Bockhaus has scored a run and reached base safely in each of her last three
• Lively has reached base safely in 10 of her last 11 and 13 of her last 15)
• Lively has also had a hit in eight of her last 10 games and 11 of her last 15
• Harrison (233) moved into seventh place on South Alabama's career strikeouts list, passing Linden Jones (232, 2007)
Up Next
• South Alabama will take on Texas State on Friday in game two of the series with first pitch versus the Bobcats set for 6 p.m.
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