MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama pitchers Allie Hughen and Olivia Lackie scattered a combined seven hits as the Jaguars picked up a 1-0 shutout victory Wednesday afternoon at Jaguar Field.

Freshman outfielder Bailey Welch – who was 2-for-2 at the plate – drove in the lone run of the game with her second-inning single.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (17-11) will next welcome Nicholls State on Tuesday, April 6. First pitch versus the Colonels is set for 6 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. MCNEESE STATE
Date: 3/31
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: South Alabama 1, McNeese State 0
Records: South Alabama (17-11), McNeese State (14-19)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Allie Hughen (4-4)  LP – Saleen Flores (4-6)  SV – Olivia Lackie (2)

GAME FACTS
- McNeese looked as if it might score first in the top of the first. With two outs and a runner on, Caroline Nichols made a leaping catch at the wall in left to rob a home run off the bat of Toni Perrin.
- South Alabama broke through with a run in the bottom of the second. Welch singled through the right side of the infield to score pinch runner Jordyn Calderon from second and give the Jags the 1-0 advantage.
- Perrin led off the fourth with a single to left, who moved into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt by Aaliyah Ortiz. Perrin moved up a base one batter later, but she was left standing at second after a ground out back to Hughen in the circle.
- Kassidy Wilcox reached on a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth after beating the throw to the bag for an infield hit. Belle Wolfenden posted South's second-straight infield single one batter later as she recorded her second hit of the afternoon to put a pair of runners aboard, but Flores was able to get out of the jam with a ground out back to the circle.
- Taylor Strother dropped in a single just inside the right field foul line to begin the fifth. Jil Poullard followed with another flare to right and Strother advanced to third on the play after the ball was misplayed in right. With runners at second and third and no outs after a stolen base by Poullard, Facing the top of the McNeese lineup, Lackie kept the visitors off the scoreboard as she retired the next three Cowgirl batters – foul out to catcher, strikeout looking and a ground out to short..
- Welch quickly moved into scoring position the next half inning as the freshman outfielder led things off with a triple to center – her second hit of the game and first career extra-base hit. Flores though didn't allow the run to cross home as like Lackie the previous inning, retired the next three batters.
- With one out in the top of the sixth, Ortiz fought of a pitch and dropped in a single to shallow center for McNeese, but pinch runner Rebekah DiLavore was thrown out attempting to steal and Haylee Brinlee was caught looking on a called third strike, Lackie's second of the inning..
- Alayis Seneca singled through the right side of the infield to start the second, but Padyn Williams – pinch running for the McNeese leftfielder – was doubled off at first when Strother popped up her sacrifice bunt attempt to Jag third baseman Meredith Keel. Poullard was hit by a 2-2 pitch one batter later and Cori McCrary walked to put the go ahead run aboard, but Lackie was able to record her fourth strikeout in relief to clinch the one-run victory.

NOTES
- South Alabama improved to 7-4 in the all-time series and has won four of the five series meetings in Mobile.
- The 1-0 victory marked the ninth game decided by one run this spring for the Jaguars and the fifth 1-0 contest.
- The shutout also marked the fifth of the season by South Alabama pitching, but was the first combined shutout of the spring for the team.
- The last time South Alabama had a pair of pitchers record a combined complete-game shutout came against Bradley on Feb. 25, 2018 when Devin Brown (5.0 innings) and Alexis Reid (2.0 innings) accomplished the feat.
- With her second-inning walk, Cronan extended her reached base safely streak to six game – a season-high.
- Welch posted her first career multi-hit game with her two hits against the Cowgirls.
- The multi-hit game for Wilcox (2-for-3) was her third of the season and the sixth of her career.
- In her four innings of work, Hughen scattered five hits, while Lackie allowed just two hits and struck out four in her three innings of relief.
- The Cowgirls left eight runners on base due impart to Jaguar pitching holding them to 1-for-13 with runners on base and 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On getting the win:
"The big thing for us today was that we needed to get back in the win column. I thought we had great pitching. I thought we were a little bit sluggish, but we found a way to win and did what we needed to do when we needed to do it. That's what good teams do, so I'm proud of us for that. We got this weekend off; we'll get our breath back and get ready to go into a really tough week next week. I'm glad to have this win; we needed this win especially going into next week."
- On the progression of the team:
"We're definitely headed in the right direction, I always say this team is one step away from breaking through and being a great team and that's why I think today was really important for us. [McNeese] is a good team, they've played a really good schedule, Coach James [Landeneau] does a great job. For us to get the win was big today. We needed it so we'd have some momentum going into next week."

Outfielder Bailey Welch
- On her performance at the plate against McNeese:
 "At the plate, I knew coming in that I had to not think as much and quit over-thinking. I realized recently that I have to start putting more faith in God than I do myself and then he would get the glory no matter the outcome. I just went up there attacking the strike zone and it worked out for me today."
- On the importance of getting back in the win column:
"It was very important for us to get this win with our next game not being until next Tuesday.It's important for us to have this win today and just build off of it."

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—