Softball Falls to Jacksonville State, 11-5, in Final Game of South Florida Tournament

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Tampa, Fla. – Senior Kayla Collins went 4-for-5 with three runs batted in to lead Jacksonville State to an 11-5 victory over the UAlbany softball team at South Florida’s The Game Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 22. The reigning Ohio Valley Conference champions jumped out to an 8-0 lead and went wire-to-wire for the six-run win.

Jacksonville State (8-3), which advanced to the regional final of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, plated eight runs in the first four innings. The Gamecocks scored once in the first on a fielder’s choice. A pair of doubles by Jackie Jarman and Courtney Underwood put three more runs across the board in the second frame, and a single with the bases loaded by Kaycee Crow added another run in the third. UAlbany’s Marissa Powell forced the first two batters to fly out in the fourth, but the Gamecocks recovered offensively and scored three more times to take an eight-run lead.

The Great Danes, who were facing their third straight opponent which advanced to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth inning. Meagan Butsch led off with a double to right center. After Gina Mason singled to right on the next play, Butsch was able to score on a throwing error by Crow from the outfield. With the bases loaded and one down, Katie Wambold came in as a pinch hitter and plated Diane MacDowell on a groundout to third. Jess Bergin came home with the Great Danes’ third run on a wild pitch. Andrianna Walvraven chased pitcher Kelly McGregor out of the game when she sent in Stephanie Talerico with one of her career-high three hits. The inning ended when Michelle Connors was called out on strikes.

The Gamecocks responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead by a 10-4 score, but the Great Danes answered back with one more run half an inning later when Bergin laced a double down the left field line. An RBI single up the middle by Collins in the top of the seventh sealed the final outcome.

Jacksonville State’s McGregor was credited with the victory and improved to 1-0 this season. She recorded one strikeout and surrendered six hits, three walks, and three earned runs in 3.2 innings. She was relieved by Collins, who struck out three Great Danes and allowed three hits and one earned run in 3.1 innings of work. UAlbany’s Powell pitched her seventh complete game of the season and dropped to 1-6 with the loss. She had one strikeout while giving up 20 hits, 10 earned runs and two walks.

UAlbany (6-6), which finished the tournament with a 2-3 ledger, will be back in action when it travels to Georgia Tech’s Buzz Classic in Woodstock, Ga. from March 6-8. The Great Danes will open up against Centenary before facing Jacksonville State, Bowling Green, Kennesaw State and Akron in the three-day event.