ARLINGTON, Texas – Olivia Lackie tossed a no-hitter in the opener and the Jaguar offense scored a combined 17 runs as the University of South Alabama softball team opened up Sun Belt Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of UT Arlington Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (8-13, 2-0 SBC) will look to conclude the series sweep versus the Mavericks on Sunday with first pitch set for 12 p.m.

SOUTH ALABAMA vs. UT ARLINGTON
Date: 3/12
Place: Allan Saxe Field (Arlington, Texas)

Game 1
Final Score: South Alabama 8, UT Arlington 0 (5 inn.)
Records: South Alabama (7-13, 1-0 SBC), UT Arlington (6-9, 0-1 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (5-3)   LP – Jessica Adams (4-6)

SCORING
- USA (1 Inn.) | Caroline Nichols scored from second on an error, unearned (1-0, 0 out)
- USA (2 Inn.) | Pinch hitter Kassidy Wilcox singled through the right side of the infield, RBI; Belle Wolfenden scored from third (2-0, 0 out)
- USA (2 Inn.) | Meredith Keel scored from second on a UTA error, unearned (3-0, 2 out)
- USA (3 Inn.) | Keel singled through the left side of the infield, RBI; Allen scored from third, unearned (4-0, 2 out)
- USA (4 Inn.) | Kamdyn Kvistad fly out to left, sacrifice fly, RBI; Mackenzie Brasher scored from third (5-0, 1 out)
- USA (5 Inn.) | Gabby Stagner singled back up the middle, RBI | Stephanie Gonzalez scored from third (6-0, 0 out)
- USA (5 Inn.) | Nichols reached on a UTA error, RBI (7-0, 1 out)
- USA (5 Inn.) | Stagner scored from third on a UTA error (8-0, 1 out)

GAME FACTS
- The Jaguars got on the board first as Nichols scored all the way from second on a Maverick error.
- Lackie set the tone in the bottom half of the inning as she struck out the side.
- USA loaded the bases after a hit and a pair of walks to start the second. Wilcox then brought in a run with a pinch-hit single. South's second run of the inning came after UTA's second error of the contest.
- The Jags scored their third unearned run of the afternoon as Keel shot a ball the opposite way through the hole on the left side of the infield to extend the lead to 4-0.
- South Alabama scored another unearned run in the fourth and then put up a three spot in the top half of the eighth.
- In the bottom of the fifth, Lacke retired the side in order, striking out Kaylee Cavasos to end the game.
- In her five innings of work Lackie allowed just two walks and struck out 10 in her no-hit effort.
- Brasher was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.
- Wolfenden and Stagner also had a pair of hits and drove in a pair.
- UTA committed at least one error each inning, which led to five unearned runs.

NOTES
- South Alabama has now won its last three in Sun Belt Conference openers and four of its last five. The win was the eighth SBC road series opening win.
- UTA and South have now met three times to open conference play, all coming within the last four seasons.
- After getting down 0-2 in the count in her first at bat, Abby Allen drew a two-out walk to extend her reached base safely streak to 16.
- The no-hitter by Lackie marked the 19th in program history and was her second. Her first came in during the 2021 conference opener versus Appalachian State (3/14/21) in Mobile.
- Lackie retied the side in order in all but the third inning and was perfect outside of issuing two third-inning walks.
- The sophomore recorded two or more strikeouts in every inning other than the second.
- Brasher tied a career high with her three hits and posted her 24th career multi-hit game.
- The multi-hit game was the 10th of Wolfenden's career and the fourth multi-RBI game.
- The two-RBI game was the second multi-RBI outing for Stagner.
- Kvistad moved into a three-way tie with Haley Hopkins (2009-12) and Kristian Foster (2015-18) for eighth place at South in career RBI as she now has 108.
- The run-rule victory was the 100th in program history as the Jaguars are now 100-24 in run-rule games.

Game 2
Final Score: South Alabama 9, UT Arlington 3
Records: South Alabama (8-13, 2-0 SBC), UT Arlington (6-10, 0-2 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Jenna Hardy (2-7)  LP – Gracie Bumpurs (2-3)
Home Runs: USA: Victoria Ortiz (3), Gabby Stagner (2); UTA Meagan Smith (3)

SCORING
- USA (1 Inn.) | Ortiz homered to right field, 2 RBI; Brasher scored from first (2-0, 1 out)
- USA (1 Inn.) | Stagner homered to left center, 4 RBI; Allen scored from third, Stephanie Gonzalez scored from second and Wolfenden scored from first (6-0, 2 out)
- UTA (1 Inn.) | Morgan Rios reached on an infield single, RBI; Jadyn Erickson scored from third (6-1, 2 out)
- UTA (2 Inn.) | Smith homered to left center, RBI (6-2, 0 out)
- UTA (3 Inn.) | Reagan Hukill grounded out to second, RBI; Aaliyah White scored from third (6-3, 1 out)
- USA (6 Inn.) | Wolfenden doubled to right, RBI; pinch runner Janeah Finney scored from first (7-3, 0 out)
- USA (6 Inn.) | Pinch hitter Kamdyn Kvistad fly out to right, sacrifice fly, RBI; Wolfenden scored from third (8-3, 0 out)
- USA (7 Inn.) | Wolfenden doubled to left, RBI; Allen scored from first (9-3, 2 out)

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs in the top of the first with all six runs coming on home runs.
- The second inning marked the first time of the doubleheader that South Alabama was retired in order as the Jags had recorded at least one run in each of their first six innings.
- After getting a run in the bottom of the first, Smith led off the UTA second with a solo home run over the wall in left center to cut the South lead to 6-2.
- Trailing by three, UTA had runners at first and second in the bottom of the fourth, but Jenna Hardy got Erickson looking and then a fielder's choice to end the inning and keep the Mavericks off the board for the first time.
- Nichols' single back up the middle to start the top of the fifth snapped a streak of 10-straight retired batters by Bumpurs following Stagner's first-inning grand slam.
- UTA placed runners at first and second after back-to-back one-out hits, but Hardy was able to get a double play to end the fifth and maintain the three-run lead.
- After not scoring since the first, South plated two runs in the top half of the sixth to stretch its lead back out to 8-3
Wolfenden drove a ball to right for a double that scored Finney and Kvistad lifted a sac fly to right to bring home Wolfenden from third.
- Nichols, Wolfenden and Gonzalez each had two hits apiece, while Ortiz and Wolfenden also drove in a pair of runs.
- In addition to her two hits and two RBI, Wolfenden also scored twice, while Stagner drove in a career-high four.
- Hardy pitched five innings of four-hit scoreless relieve to pick up her second win of the spring.

NOTES
- Saturday's second game of the doubleheader marked the 800th game in program history.
- With the two wins, South Alabama claims the series for its ninth series win to open conference play.
- Ortiz has now homered in three of her last four games and recorded an extra-base hit in five of her last six.
- Allen walked in the bottom of the first to extend her reached base safely streak to 17 games, which is tied with six other players for 17th-longest in program history.
- Stagner's grand slam was the 18th in program history and the first since Abby Krzywiecki versus Georgia State (4/13/19).
- With her four RBI, Stagner has now recorded multi-RBI games in back-to-back outings.
- The six-run first inning by the Jags marked the second of the season for the Jags as they posted a six spot in the fifth inning versus Belmont (2/20) at the Snowman in Starkville, Miss.
- The six-run first was also the most in the opening frame since scoring six runs in the first inning against Georgia Southern (4/16/16) in Statesboro, Ga.
- The series win versus the Mavericks marked the first for the Jags since taking two in Mobile during the 2018 season.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On getting the doubleheader sweep on Saturday: 
"Today was a great way to open conference play. Our offense applied pressure in both games and pitchers pounded the zone. It was cool to see Liv [Olivia Lackie] get the no-hitter in game one. Overall, I thought we set the tone for conference play. Now we have to show up again tomorrow and finish the series."

Senior infielder Belle Wolfenden
- On the importance to starting of Sun Belt Play 2-0: 
"I think a 2-0 start in conference is great and it is important because it sets up momentum for the rest of conference play. It's a stepping stone that the team can build off of for tomorrow and the rest of the season."
- On her performance at the plate: 
"I was just comfortable in my batting stance and let my barrel work. I just focused on putting the ball in play to make something happen."

Sophomore P Olivia Lackie
- On what was working well for her in the circle: 
 "My screw and rise ball were working really well today."
- On setting the tone early on in the series: 
"It was very important that we set the tone in game one, and the entire team came out fired up and ready to play It's a great atmosphere to play in when all of your teammates are excited and ready to go from the first pitch to the last."

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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