MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team received a dominant pitching performance out of Olivia Lackie in its 2-0 victory over Middle Tennessee and then defeated SIU-Edwardsville, 6-5 on Kennedy Cronan's eighth-inning, walk-off sac fly in the nightcap on day two of the South Alabama Invitational at Jaguar Field.

Lackie (4-2) picked up the win in both contest as she tossed a complete game, one-hitter and struck out 12 against the Blue Raiders and then entered in relief in extra innings.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (6-5) will close out tournament action on Sunday when it faces Northwestern State at 1:30 p.m.

Date: 2/27
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Final Score: South Alabama 2, Middle Tennessee 0
Records: South Alabama (5-5), Middle Tennessee (2-5)
Pitchers of Record: W –Olivia Lackie (3-2)  L – Amber Baldwin (1-2)

GAME FACTS
- Bailey Welch recorded the first hit for either team with a leadoff single to start the bottom of the third. The freshman then moved into scoring position as she stole second. Later in the inning with runners at second and third and two outs, Kennedy Cronan dropped in a single in shallow center to score Welch and Mackenzie Brasher (infield single) and give the Jags a 2-0 advantage.
- In the Jag half of the sixth, Cronan led off the inning with a double – her second hit of the contest – and Kamdyn Kvistad walked. Kvistad and pinch runner Jordyn Calderon moved up 60 feet on Belle Wolfenden's sacrifice bunt. However, the Blue Raiders were able to turn a double play, throwing out the runner at home, to end the inning.
- With the exception of a hit batter, Jaguar starter Olivia Lackie retired 10 of the final 11 batters she faced, including the final seven.

NOTES
- While the two clubs have now met 27 times in the all-time series. 23 of those came while the Blue Raiders were a member of the Sun Belt Conference until the 2013 season. South Alabama has now won 17 of the series meetings.
- Lackie continued her strong pitching as she struck out each of the first five batters swinging that she faced, finishing with a season-high 12 strikeouts on the afternoon.
- The 12 strikeouts by Lackie mark the first double-digit performance by a Jaguar pitcher since Devin Brown recorded 11 in game two of a doubleheader at Coastal Carolina on April 28, 2018.
- The freshman retired the first 11 batters that she faced and did not give up a hit until Kelci Hill's fourth-inning, two-out single.
- The two-hit performance marked the 18th multi-hit game of Cronan's career.
- Kassidy Wilcox also drew two walks for South.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. SIU-EDWARDSVILLE
Final Score: South Alabama 6, SIU-Edwardsville 5 [8 inns.]
Records: South Alabama (6-4), SIU-Edwardsville (0-4)
Pitchers of Record: W – Olivia Lackie (4-2)  L – Sydney Baalman (0-2)
Home Runs: SIUE: Amber Storer (1)

GAME FACTS
- In the second, the Jags had a pair of runners reach for the second time in as many innings after Wolfenden (Hit-by-pitch) and Holly Stewart (error) reached with no outs. South looked as if it might not be able to capitalize as the next two batters struck out, but Meredith Keel snapped her two-game hitless streak with an infield single. Wolfenden was able to come home on the play after an errant throw by SIU second baseman Lexi King (1-0).
- The Jaguars erupted for four runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth. South put a pair of runners on with no outs for the second straight inning after a sharp single by Cronan and a double off the top of the wall in left by Kvistad – who just missed hitting her third home run of the weekend – to put runners at second and third. Shelby Sloan lined out to short and on the play, the SIUE shortstop's throw to third was wide and rolled into the dugout allowing Camryn McLemore (2-0) – who was pinch running for Cronan – to score.
- Wolfenden then walked to put runners at the corners with one away, and Holly Stewart then dropped in a base hit in shallow left center to score Kvistad from third and make it 3-0. The third run of the inning for the Jags came two batters later when Bailey Welch reached on an infield single plating Wolfenden (4-0). The final run of the inning came on another infield single as Stewart crossed the plate on Keel's RBI hit – her second hit of the night and sixth multi-hit game of the season.
- SIUE scored five unearned runs on four hits and one costly Jaguar error in the top of the sixth. With two outs in the inning, South should have been out of the inning, but a fielding error kept the Cougars alive placing runners at the corners. Zoe Schafer then stepped to the plate and lined a double that rolled all the way to the wall in left center, scoring a pair (5-2). King then singled through the left side of the infield to score Schafer from second to cut the Jag lead to two (5-3). Amber Storer then tied the game up at 5-5 with a two-run home run to left.
- The Cougars placed a pair on with one out in the eighth after a fielder's choice and a single. Lackie entered the jam and got Arps to strike out looking. Kvistad then gunned down King at third attempting to steal on the play.
- In the bottom half of the inning, Welch worked the count full and earned a leadoff walk to place the go-ahead run at first. The freshman then moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Keel. Braher then beat out an infield single to put runners at the corners, setting the stage for Cronan who drove 1-0 pitch along the left foul line that was deep enough for Welch to come home on and give South the one-run, walk-off win.

NOTES
- The meeting versus the Cougars was fourth in the all-time series and the first since the 2016 season.
- With her second-inning, infield-single, Keel has now had at least one hit in nine of South Alabama's 11 games.
- Jag starter Allie Hughen was perfect through four-and-two-thirds of the game before allowing an infield single to Micah Arps. The Jag righty didn't allow a Cougar runner past first until the sixth inning.
- Keel, Brasher and Stewart each recorded two hits, while Keel, Cronan, Stewart and Welch were also credited with a RBI.
- Wolfenden also reached base safely three times – HBP and two walks – while scoring twice.
- The extra-inning was the first of the season for the Jaguars and the third of the weekend for SIUE.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the performance by the pitchers and the two wins:
"Our pitchers competed today and pounded the zone. We have been emphasizing the need to eliminate walks, so I was happy with us only giving up one walk between both games. Offensively, we did enough to get the wins, but we still have room for improvement. We have to continue to work for better at-bats one through nine. Tomorrow is an opportunity for us to put all of it together and play a complete game. We need to finish the weekend the right way."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.

—USA—