MOBILE, Ala. - The UWG softball team dropped games one and two of the South Alabama Invitational on Friday, falling to UT Martin and host South Alabama in Mobile.
West Georgia (4-9) was run-ruled by UT Martin (8-3) in the opener while being held to two hits. The Wolves showed resolve, but in the end would fall in heartbreaking fashion as South Alabama (8-5) walked off the Wolves in their final at-bat.
GAME ONE
UT Martin jumped all over the Wolves in the first game of the weekend, climbing out to a 6-0 lead after one and a 9-0 lead after three.
The Skyhawks Scored two more in the fifth to stretch the lead to 11-0, and the Wolves got their lone run in the fifth on Ella Oswalt's solo home run.
Oswalt, who led off the game with a double down the right field line had the only two hits for the Wolves.
GAME TWO
West Georgia had their turn at a first inning lead in the nightcap, scoring two in their first at-bat against South Alabama. Oswalt got on by a hit-by-pitch to start the game and then a Zekylah Boyd walk and a wild pitch set the Wolves up. Jenna Samuel drove in Oswalt with an RBI single and the Boyd scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Madison McDonald.
The Jaguars responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half and then four in the second to take their first lead of the game.
In the third, Boyd and Samul singled to start the frame. Another wild pitch got the Wolves in business, setting up another RBI from McDonald, this one on a groundout. Megan Waites followed that up with a sac fly to make it 6-4, Jaguars.
To her credit, Calli Hardison settled in after giving up the six runs in the first two innings and didn't allow much until the final frame. Hardison ended her night with five strikeouts while allowing five earned runs.
The score would stay right there until the Wolves were facing defeat and down to their last three outs. Dixiana Sims and Oswalt each had one-out singles and eventually got into scoring position. Sims would score on a Boyd groundout and the Wolves tied the game thanks to a two-out single by McDonald.
Hardison got the first two Jaguar batters in the seventh, and then a two-out triple put the game-winning run on third and a pinch hit single drove in the deciding run.
McDonald had three RBIs in the loss while Jenna Samuel had a pair of hits.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- It was the fifth home run of Oswalt's young career, leading the Wolves in that category nine games into her collegiate career. Oswalt had a hit in game two, extending her hitting streak to 11 games.
- McDonald recorded her third multi-RBI game, which is tied with Jenna Samuel for the most on the team.
UP NEXT
The Wolves are back in action on the campus of South Alabama tomorrow, taking on North Alabama at 12:30 p.m. and UT Martin again at 5:30 p.m.
