South Alabama took an early lead but could not hold off 12th-ranked Mississippi State, falling 4-2 on Sunday during the third day of the Jaguar Classic at Jaguar Field.
Head coach Becky Clark commented on the game, stating: “I thought we got off to a good start, but couldn’t make it hold up. The long balls really hurt us, but we had opportunities to get back in it, and didn’t take advantage of them. We still have things we can clean up that are fixable, and help us flip the momentum of the game.”
The Jaguars opened scoring in the first inning when Virginia Mambelli hit an RBI single to left field, bringing Presley Lively home. South Alabama extended their lead in the second inning with a two-out pinch-hit single from Lillie Stagner that allowed Edy Gavin to score after she reached base with a single and stole second.
Mississippi State responded in the third inning as Nadia Barbary and Kiara Sells hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 2-2. Sells later hit her second home run of the contest in the fifth inning—a two-run shot over left center—giving Mississippi State a 4-2 advantage.
A key defensive play for South Alabama came when catcher Ansleigh Smith quickly recovered a wild pitch and threw out a runner at home plate to end an inning without further damage.
South Alabama’s best chance to rally was in the sixth inning after Mambelli singled and Sydney Stewart was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on base. However, Alyssa Faircloth secured three outs with a fielder’s choice to close out the threat.
Lively and Gavin were among six Jaguars who recorded hits and each scored once. Mambelli went 2-for-3 with one RBI; Stagner also contributed an RBI single. For Mississippi State, Sells finished 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs. Megan Bernardini added two hits for Mississippi State while Peja Gould improved her season record to 10-1 by striking out four batters. Faircloth earned her third save of the season by pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Additional notes included Lively maintaining consistent offensive production throughout recent games, while Mambelli continued her strong stretch at bat with another multi-hit performance. Sunday marked only the third time this season that South Alabama has allowed three home runs in one game by an opponent.
South Alabama is scheduled to play next against No. 10 Florida State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Central Time in Tallahassee; coverage will be available via ACC Network.
