ARLINGTON, Texas – Junior pitcher Jenna Hardy tossed a complete-game, shutout and the offense erupted for a season-high 10 runs as the University of South Alabama softball team completed the Sun Belt Conference sweep of UT Arlington Sunday afternoon with a 10-0 victory at Allan Saxe Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (9-13, 3-0 SBC) will return home for the first time this season as the Jaguars are set to welcome Nicholls State. First pitch Wednesday night is set for 5 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

Date: 3/13
Place: Allan Saxe Field (Arlington, Texas)

Final Score: South Alabama 10, UT Arlington 
Records: South Alabama (9-13, 3-0 SBC), UT Arlington (6-11, 0-3 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Jenna Hardy (3-7)  LP – Jessica Adams (4-7)
Home Runs: USA: Victoria Ortiz (4), Gabby Stagner (3)

SCORING
- USA (4 Inn.) | Belle Wolfenden singled to right, RBI; Allen scored from third (1-0, 1 out)
- USA (5 Inn.) | Mackenzie Brasher singled to right, RBI; Meredith Keel scored from second
- USA (5 Inn.) | Ortiz homered to left, 3 RBI; Caroline Nichols scored from third, Brasher scored from second (5-0, 0 out)
- USA (5 Inn.) Wolfenden sacrifice bunt, RBI; Allen scored (6-0, 0 out)
- USA (7 Inn.) | Stagner homered to left, 4 RBI; Allen scored from third, Kvistad scored from second, Wolfenden scored from first (10-0, 0 out)

GAME FACTS
- UTA had a scoring opportunity in its half of the second placing runners at second and third with two outs, but Hardy was able to get a strikeout looking to end the inning.
- The Mavericks had the leadoff batter reach base in three of the first four innings
- Wolfenden's fourth-inning, RBI single was the first hit of the day for South Alabama.
- South plated five runs on five hits its next time up. South started the inning with five straight hits and the first six batters reached base after Kvistad walked.
- Brasher plated the first run with an RBI single to right. Ortiz then followed with a three-run homer to left. With runners at the corners, Wolfenden laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring in the fifth run of the frame.
- UTA got a pair aboard and moved them into scoring position in the bottom of the sixth, but Hardy was able to induce a ground out to second to keep the Mavs off the board.
- Of the 21 put outs recorded by Hardy, 14 came on ground outs.
- After Gracie Bumpurs issued three straight walks to start the top of the seventh, Stagner unloaded on 2-2 offering for her third homer of the season and her second grand slam in as many days.
- Allen reached base in three of her four plate appearances and scored three runs, while Kvistad walked three times and scored a run.
- Stagner drove in a team-high four runs with the grand slam, while Ortiz plated three on her three-run home run.
- Hardy scattered four hits, walked two and struck out four in her complete-game, shutout effort.

NOTES
- With the win, South Alabama sweeps the Mavericks for the fourth time in the series, the first since 2016, and improves to 17-7 overall in the all-time series. It was also the seventh road win in Arlington.
- The series sweep marked the 36th Sun Belt Conference sweep in program history and was the 14th league road sweep.
- Allen walked to lead off the top of the fourth, extending her reached base safely streak to 18 games, which is tied with Chloe Rathburn (2015) and Evelyne Pare (2007) for the 14th longest streak in program history.
- During her streak, Allen has walked 14 times.
- For the third straight game, Allen walked twice in the contest. She now has a team-high 16 walks this season.
- Kvistad also walked three times in the game versus UTA, marking the first time a Jag has earned three free passes in a game since Allen did so against Troy (5/8/21) last spring on the final weekend of the regular season.
- As a team, South Alabama walked eight times, which marked a season best for the club. The eight walks were the most since earning 10 at Georgia (2/12/21).
- Wolfenden extended her hit streak to a career best six games with her fourth-inning single. The RBI was her fourth run driven in this weekend. 
- Ortiz has now homered in three of her last four games with all four of her home runs this spring coming during that stretch.
- The five-run fifth marked the third inning of five or more runs this spring for South, and the second of the series.
- Stagners' grand slam marked her second of the series and was the 19th all-time in program history. Stagner now joins former Jags Brittany Fowler, Britany Campbell and Christin Crocker as the only South Alabama players to record multiple grand slams in their career.
- Stager posted nine RBI during the three-game series.
- The 10 runs set a new season high for the Jaguars.
- Coming into the series, South had scored just 47 runs through its first 19 games, but recorded 27 in the three-game series versus the Mavericks.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the Sun Belt Conference sweep: 
"I'm really proud of our kids for the way they played this weekend. They have fought through so much adversity up to this point, so to see them start conference play like this was huge. It is hard to sweep a team in the Sun Belt and to do it on the road is even harder. We finally put it all together this weekend and got great pitching, great hitting, and great defense. We have a big week ahead of us so keeping this focus and momentum will be our main goal moving forward."

Junior P Jenna Hardy
- On her performance in the circle: 
"At the beginning everything was working well, but a little way through the game, I had a bit tougher time spinning the ball. After a few mental reminders and I was right back too it making pitches."
- On being ready on short notice: 
"I wouldn't really say I got a late notice because right from the get go I was told to warm up as if I was starting because it was either Liv [Olivia Lackie] or me starting    when I came closer to the end of my warm up, I was told I was getting the start and I was ready to go. Knowing from the start and being told to warm up as if I was starting really helped with the performance and the mind set to go at them."

Freshman INF Gabby Stagner
- On her performance this weekend in bases-loaded opportunities: 
"I tried to stay focused, slow the game down, and see the ball. I just wanted to make something happen to move runners. I was way more relaxed this weekend at the plate, especially in those big situations and I think that was huge for me. I am thankful to be a part of this talented team. It was a great sweep for us to start conference off."

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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