STARKVILLE, Miss. – The University of South Alabama softball team opened up the Snowman (Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament) Friday with a pair of victories getting a 9-1, five-inning run-rule victory over Belmont in the opener and a 2-1 win over Longwood in game two at Nusz Park.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (3-8) will continue play at The Snowman on Saturday with a pair of games beginning with Longwood at 10 a.m. with the second game of the day set to start at 5:30 p.m. when the Jaguars face tournament host Mississippi State.

THE SNOWMAN (Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament)
Date: 2/25
Place: Nusz Park (Starkville, Miss.)

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. BELMONT
Final Score: South Alabama 9, Belmont 1 [5 innings]
Records: South Alabama (2-8), Belmont (3-3)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (1-2)  LP – Lauren Veitri (1-2)
Home Runs: USA: Gabby Stagner (1); BEL: Abi Ledbetter (1)

SCORING
- USA (1st Inn.) | Kamdyn Kvistad, sacrifice bunt, 2 RBI; Mackenzie Brasher scored from third, Meredith Keel scored from second (2-0, 0 out)
- BEL (2nd Inn.) | Ledbetter homered to right, RBI (2-1, 1 out)
- USA (2nd Inn.) | Keel singled back up the middle, RBI; Brasher scored from second, unearned (3-1, 2 out)
- USA (5th Inn.) | Kvistad reached on a throwing error; M. Brasher scored from second, (4-1, 0 out)
- USA (5th Inn.) | Abby Allen singled up the middle, 2 RBI; pinch runner Janeah Finney scored, unearned; M. Keel scored (6-1, 0 out)
- USA (5th Inn.) | Stagner homered to center, 3 RBI; Victoria Ortiz scored from first, unearned; Allen scored from second (9-1, 0 out)

GAME FACTS
- With runners at second and third, the Jags took an early two-run lead on Kvistad's squeeze bunt.
- Lackie struck out the first four Bruin batters of the game, but Ledbetter narrowed the deficit to one (2-1) when she drove a 3-2 offering over the wall in right.
- Brasher, Keel and Stagner each finished with two hits in the win. Brasher was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Keel reached base safely in all three of her plate appearances with a pair of hits and a walk, while also scoring two runs.
- Stagner's three-run home run was the first of her career.
- Four of South's six runs during the bottom of the fifth were earned as the Jags scored six runs on three hits and two Bruin errors.
- Lackie allowed just one hit in her five innings of work and recorded seven strikeouts.
- The sophomore had a strikeout to end each of the first four innings and struck out the side in the top of the first.

NOTES
- The meeting versus the Bruins was the first in the series since Feb. 20, 2010, a 15-2, five-inning victory for South in Mobile at the South Alabama Invitational.
- Friday's meeting marked the first in the series not played at Jaguar Field.
- South Alabama now holds an all-time record of 23-5 (.821) against current Big South Conference members.
- The run-rule victory was also the 99th in program history.
- The two first-inning RBI by Kvistad brought the senior's career total to 105.
- With her two hits, Brasher now has 21 career multi-hit games moving her into a tie with former Jag Alex Breeden for 25th on the all-time list.
- The three runs scored by Brasher were the most by a Jag since Allie Hughen scored three vs. Austin Peay (2/15/20).
- Kvistad threw out two Bruin runners trying to steal second. Entering the weekend, opponents had been a perfect 19-for-19 in their stolen base attempts.
- Of the nine home runs allowed by Jag pitching this spring, all but two have been solo shots.
- The walk-off home run by Stagner was just the 19th in program history. 
- The six-run fifth was the most runs scored in the final inning of a walk-off, run-rule game since South scored six in the sixth inning of a 14-6 win over Ball State (2/21/15).
- With her win, Lackie earned career win No. 20, becoming just the ninth pitcher in program history to reach the mark.
- The win also snapped an eight-game skid for South and was the club's first win since it's season opener against Central Arkansas.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. LONGWOOD
Final Score: South Alabama 2, Longwood 1
Records: South Alabama (3-8), Longwood (4-7)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Jenna Hardy (1-4)   SV – Olivia Lackie (2)   LP – Sydney Backstrom (3-4)

SCORING
- USA (1st Inn.) | Allen singled to right center, RBI; Keel scored from second (1-0, 1 out)
- USA (4th Inn.) | Belle Wolfenden singled to left, RBI; Emma Kropp scored from second (2-0, 2 out)
- LU (6th Inn.) | Ale Wayland sacrifice fly to left, RBI; Emil Vinson scored from third (2-1, 1 out)

GAME FACTS
- Both of South Alabama's runners left on base were left in scoring position after starting the inning with a walk.
- Five players finished the game with a hit for the Jaguars, while Keel and Kropp both scored a run and Allen and Wolfenden drove in a run.
- Hardy struck out five and scattered four hits in her four innings of work en route to picking up the win.
- Lackie struck out four and allowed just two base hits in her three innings of relief.
- Longwood left four runners on base and were 0-for-6 in those situations.

NOTES
- The meeting versus Longwood marked the first in the all-time series and was the first against a Big South Conference opponent since the 2018 season when the Jaguars defeated Charleston Southern, 4-3 at the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn.
- The one-run game marked the fifth one-run game this spring for South, but was the first win by the Jags in those contests.
- With her base hit, Kropp has had a hit in each of her last three outings and four of her last five.
- Brasher has reached base safely in eight of South's 11 games this spring.
- After going hitless in her first four games of the season, Keel has had at least one hit in five of her last six.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the two wins: 
"Two great team wins today. I loved seeing our offense get going and give Liv [Olivia Lackie] some breathing room in game one. I thought we applied pressure the entire game. In game two, we had solid pitching again and were able to do enough offensively for the win. The top of the order did a great job all day of setting the table. Abby's [Allen] hit the other way for the first run was a great at-bat and [Belle] Wolfenden gritted out the second RBI and put the ball in play with two strikes. Overall, today was a great way to start the tournament and we just need to continue to build on that."

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.

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