Softball Drops Citrus Classic Opener To South Ala.

Friday, March 2

Orlando, Fla.

10 a.m.

Ball State University

5-5

South Alabama

7-5

South Alabama

Ball State

March 02, 2012 | Softball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - - The Ball State softball team opened play in the Citrus Classic held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort with a 3-0 setback to South Alabama Friday morning.

On the mound for Ball State (5-5), senior pitcher Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) held the Jaguars offense to just five hits in another strong outing. USA entered the game batting .302 as a team, but Workman limited them to a .217 average in the contest. She gave up three runs (all earned) and struck out three batters.

South Alabama (7-5) pitcher Hannah Campbell limited the potent Ball State offense to just three hits to pick up her fourth win of the season. She also struck out five batters.

Senior designated player Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Las Vegas) logged the first hit of the game with a two-out triple in the bottom of the first. It was the second triple of Montalto's career and BSU's first of the season.

South Alabama pushed the first run across in the top of the third thanks to a one-out RBI groundout from Christin Crocker which plated Blair Johnson who led off the inning with a walk. USA managed to get runners at first and third with two outs, but a diving grab by reigning MAC West Player of the Week sophomore third baseman Audrey Bickel (Munster, Ind./Andrean) on a 2-2 foul ball ended the inning.

The guests on the scoreboard added their second run in the top of the fourth, pushing the score to 2-0. Kaitlyn Griffith singled to open the frame, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Alyssa Linn followed with an RBI single to double the Jaguars' lead.

The Ball State defense came up big in the top of the sixth, as freshman Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) made a diving grab in right field to post the first out of the inning, while sophomore Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) made a shoe string snag in left to end the inning.

Cihlar recorded BSU's second hit in the bottom of the sixth, with a two-out single up the middle. Unfortunately, a strikeout would strand her at first.

South Alabama tacked on a third run in the top of the seventh, as a two-out RBI double form Haley Hopkins drove in Linn who led off the inning with a single.

Sophomore first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeaster) led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, but the Cardinals could not bring her home as three straight outs ended the game.

The Ball State softball team continues play in the Citrus Classic later this afternoon with a scheduled 2:30 p.m. first pitch versus Temple at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee, Fla.