KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Redishirt junior outfielder Victoria Ortiz blasted home runs in the fourth and fifth innings to help the University of South Alabama softball team rally back and defeat Dartmouth on the final day of the Tennessee Invitational held at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (6-13) will head to Arlington, Texas to open up Sun Belt Conference play with a three-game series next weekend at UT Arlington (March 11-13). The Jaguars will open up the series with the Mavericks on Fri., at Alan Saxe Field with first pitch set for 6 p.m. Game two is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start time, while the series finale is slated to begin at 12 p.m.

TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL
Date: 3/6
Place: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Final Score: South Alabama 5, Dartmouth 2
Records: South Alabama (6-13), Dartmouth (2-8)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (4-3)  LP – Megan Hagge (0-1)
Home Runs: USA: Victoria Ortiz 2 (2)

SCORING
- DART (4th Inn.) | Mary Beth Cahalan scored from third on a wild pitch (0-1, 1 out)
- DART (4th Inn.) | Izzy Kam reached on a fielding error, RBI; Panu scored from third, unearned (0-2, 1 out)
- USA (4th Inn.) | Ortiz homered to right, RBI (1-2, 1 out)
- USA (5th Inn.) | Caroline Nichols double to left, RBI; Meredith Keel scored from second (2-2, 0 out)
- USA (5th Inn.) | Mackenzie Brasher singled back up the middle, RBI; Nichols scored from third (3-2, 0 out)
- USA (5th) | Brasher scored from third on a throwing error (4-2, 0 out)
- USA (5th Inn.) | Ortiz homered to left center, RBI (5-2, 2 out)

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama threatened in the bottom of the first, placing runners at second and third after Abby Allen earned her 10th walk of the season and a wild pitch on ball four allowed Allen to advance two bases, but Dartmouth held the runners there after back-to-back nice defensive plays on a pair of grounders.
- Jenna Hardy retired the first eight Big Green batters that she faced until issuing a two-out walk in the third.
- Dartmouth's Cahalan recorded Dartmouth's first hit of the day with a looping single and Panu dropped a double just inside the foul line in the leftfield corner to put a pair on. Cahalan then came into score on a wild pitch.
- South got a run back the next half inning as Ortiz blasted a homer on a 2-0 offering with one away off McCarroll in the bottom half of the fourth inning.
- The Jags greeted Hagge with three-straight hits to score a pair of runs and take the lead (3-2). Keel and Nichols began the s??
- Four South Alabama players finished the day with two hits apiece. Nichols and Brasher each added a run scored and a RBI to their two hits, while Ortiz drove in a pair with her solo home runs and Belle Wolfenden went 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk.
- Brasher also added two stolen bases as she now has ?? on the season.
- Lackie retired eight of the 10 batters she faced as she pitched three scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. She struck out four.

NOTES
- The meeting marked the fourth in the all-time series, the only ones by the Jaguars against an Ivy League member. USA is now 3-1 in those contests.
- Allen extended her reached base safely streak to 15 games with her walk during her first plate appearance. The streak is the longest by a Jag since Brittini Reid reached base safely in 21 straight during the 2019 season.
- The multi-home run performance marks the second time Ortiz has done so in her Jaguar career (vs. ULM | 4/20/19).
- The last Jag to record two home runs in a game was Kamdyn Kvistad who had two home runs last spring against Missouri (2/26/21). 
- It was also just the 19th time in program history a South Alabama player has recorded two or more home runs in a game. 
- Ortiz is one of 11 players in program history to have two or more home runs in a game and now one of five to have done in multiple times in her career.
- Ortiz now has eight extra-base hits – six doubles, two home run – this spring to lead the club.
- The two hits marked the 11th career multi-hit game for Nichols.
- Nichols has now driven in three runs this season, matching the previous total (3) that she had over her first three years in Mobile.
- With her two-hit performance, Brasher recorded her third multi-hit game of the spring and the 22nd of her career, moving her into a tie with former Jag Chloe Rathburn (2014-15) for 24th on the career list.
- The multi-hit game was the 24th of Ortiz's career and the 12th multi-RBI game for the junior.
- With her two hits, Wolfenden now has eight career multi-hit outings.
- Kassidy Wilcox made her first start of the season behind the plate against the Big Green. Her last start at the position came against South Florida (5/22/21) at the Gainesville Regional.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the win: 
"Today was a great way to end the tournament. I'm proud of our kids for picking themselves up and finishing strong. We had great energy and competed the entire game. Jenna [Hardy] and Liv [Olivia Lackie] gave us quality innings and our offense battled from behind to get us the lead."
- On Victoria Ortiz's performance at the plate: 
"Ortiz had a monster day and it was good to see her get going in a big way. Overall this is a win we can build on going into conference play."

Redshirt junior OF Victoria Ortiz
- On her performance today and this weekend: 
"This week, I wanted to turn myself loose because I have been trying to force things and you can't have success that way. I've been seeing it well and I executed what I've been working on today.
- On what closing out the tournament with a win means to the team: 
"This win was big. We've had a tough start no doubt, but we came together this weekend. The momentum is huge for us going into conference this week."

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—