Olivia Branstetter and Ansleigh Smith each recorded two hits, but South Alabama lost 5-2 to McNeese State in a midweek softball game at Jaguar Field on Wednesday night.
South Alabama’s head coach Becky Clark commented on the team’s recent performance: “This has been an interesting start. We were lights out in Clearwater and then have been in and out ever since. There are pockets of good and then other times when we just aren’t executing. The effort is there, so we have to keep fighting through this right now until things click again.”
McNeese took an early lead in the second inning when Corine Poncho hit a home run off Sydney Scapin. Although McNeese threatened further damage, South Alabama’s defense, including a diving catch by center fielder Presley Lively, limited the Cowgirls to one run in that frame.
Branstetter led off the bottom of the second with an infield single and later scored after Virginia Mambelli delivered a pinch-hit single. South Alabama took its first lead when Brooklynn Bockhaus scored on a passed ball.
In the third inning, McNeese loaded the bases and tied the game with a walk before regaining the lead on a double play. The Cowgirls added two more runs in the fourth, extending their advantage to 5-2.
South Alabama had opportunities but left eight runners stranded, including four in scoring position. The team finished 3-for-20 with runners on base and 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Branstetter reached base all three times she batted, also scoring once. Smith also had two hits for South Alabama. For McNeese, both Rylee Cloud and Malayna Daigle had two hits each; seven different Cowgirls recorded at least one hit.
Maddie Taylor improved her record to 4-0 for McNeese after allowing six hits and one run over several innings pitched. Brooklyn Taylor closed out the game for McNeese by getting key outs during South Alabama’s sixth-inning rally attempt.
The teams met for the fifteenth time overall and eighth time at Jaguar Field. This marks South Alabama’s first back-to-back losses this season.
Other notes from the game include Kara Wine recording her eighth hit in twelve outings with a first-inning double; Olivia Branstetter now has hits in four of her last five games; Ansleigh Smith notched her fifth multi-hit game as a Jaguar; Presley Lively extended her hitting streak to ten games; Gracie Dees’ nine-game hit streak ended.
South Alabama will next host West Georgia at Jaguar Field Friday night as part of the South Alabama Invitational.
