MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball junior pitcher Olivia Lackie tossed her fourth shutout of the season and struck out 14 as the Jaguars took game one, 4-0 of its Sun Belt Conference series versus Coastal Carolina Friday night at Jaguar Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (13-14, 6-1 SBC) will take on the Chanticleers in game two of the SBC series on Saturday with first pitch set for 3 p.m.

Date: 4/1
Place: Jaguar Field (Mobile, Ala.)

Final Score: South Alabama 4, Coastal Carolina 0
Records: South Alabama (13-14, 6-1 SBC), Coastal Carolina (14-18, 1-9 SBC)
Pitchers of Record: WP – Olivia Lackie (7-4)   LP – Kaitlin Beasley-Polko (8-6)
Home Runs: USA: Victoria Ortiz (5)

SCORING
- USA (1st Inn.) | Caroline Nichols scored on a passed ball, unearned (1-0, 0 out)
- USA (3rd Inn.) | Ortiz homered to right, RBI (2-0, 2 out)
- USA (4th Inn.) | Nichols flied out to center, sacrifice, RBI | Gabby Stagner scored from third (3-0, 0 out)
- USA (4th Inn.) | Kamdyn Kvistad singled to left, RBI | Emma Kropp scored from second (4-0, 2 out) 

GAME FACTS
- After retiring Coastal in order in the top half of the opening frame, Nichols tripled down the left filed line and came home three pitches later on a passed ball to score the first run of the contest.
- South Alabama could have extended its lead, but Beasley-Polka was able to get a strikeout to end the frame and leave the bases loaded.
- With two outs in the third, Ortiz lined a 1-2 offering over the wall in right to double South's advantage (2-0).
- Stagner led off the Jaguar fourth with a double off the wall in center who moved up to third with her first collegiate stolen base. After a walk put runners at the corners, Nichols' sacrifice fly brought in Stagner (3-0). Kvistad then dropped in a single in left that scored Kropp from second to extend South's advantage to 4-0.
- Coastal Carolina moved its first runner into scoring position with two outs in the top of the sixth. Madison Hudson led off the sixth with an infield single – just the second hit of the night for the Chanticleers – and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Lackie was able to get Keirstin Roose looking for her 12th strikeout of the evening to end the inning.
- The Chants threatened to tie the game up in the top of the seventh. Riley Zana led off the frame with a single to left and two batters later, Abbey Montoya walked on four straight – the first walked issued by Lackie. Maddy Jennings then lined a single back up the middle to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate with one out, but Lackie struck out pinch hitter Shae Schreckengost and Hudson to preserve the shut out.
- Lackie tossed her sixth complete game of the spring and her fourth shutout as she allowed just four hits and a walk, while striking out 14.
- She had two or more strike outs in five of her seven innings of work, striking out the side in the second and fifth innings. Lackie also retired the Chants in order in the first, third and fourth innings.
- Nichols reached base in two of her three plate appearances with a triple and a walk, while scoring a run. Ortiz also had a walk and a home run in her three plate appearances.

NOTES
- South Alabama has now won four straight in the series and nine of the 15 meetings.
- Lackie posted her 100th strike out this season and the 350th of her Jaguar career. She now has 109 this spring and 359 for her career. 
- With her 14 strikeouts, Lackie posted her fourth double-digit strikeout game of the spring and the 11th of her career.
- Lackie went 0-2 to nine CCU batters and picked up six of her strikeouts in those counts.
- She now holds 23 complete games and 11 shutouts during her career.
- Allen drew her team-leading 19th walk of the season in the first inning. As a team, South Alabama walked six times in the contest.
- Ortiz's third-inning home run was her fifth of the season and the 15th of her career, moving her into 12th all-time in program history.
- The home run also marked her 44th career extra-base hit, which is tied for 10th all-time. She has 28 doubles, one triple and 15 home runs.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On being able to get back out on the field: 
"To get back on the field tonight and to be able to get back to playing softball was huge for us. There's been some rough days. I'm just happy for our kids and our staff to be able to get back out here and do what we love."
- On the game: 
"I thought we were good in some places and there were some places where we needed to be better. We looked like we had a little bit of down time. Offensively, we just weren't consistent. There are some places where I would like to have seen us have a better approach and there's some other places where we were getting it done. We haven't seen live pitching or had many at-bats in a while. Once we get going again and get back into a rhythm, I think that will fall back into place. Overall, I thought we had good pitching and good defense. I thought the offense did enough for tonight, but we have to improve in some areas as we go."
- On Olivia Lackie in the circle: 
"I thought Olivia [Lackie] did a great job. I think she struck out 14 with just one walk, which came late. We had some big defensive plays in the outfield that kept some innings from getting started. At the end, they get some things going and Lackie was able to get the two big strikeouts to end it."

Senior OF Caroline Nichols
- On getting the offense started with her first-inning triple: 
"Hitting leadoff, I'm just going up there and trying to be patient. I'm just ready to hit."
- On getting back out on the field tonight: 
"It was really big for us, especially after last weekend. We knew it was going to be tough for everyone, but we came out here in the right mental state and pushed through it."

Junior OF Victoria Ortiz
- On getting back out on the field and getting a win to start the series: 
"We needed to get back on our feet. I feel like we haven't played in a while; it's been almost two weeks. Tonight, was really big. We want to finish a little better, but it was a good win to get our feet back under us."
- On her performance at the plate: 
"I've seen their [Coastal Carolina's] pitchers a couple of times now during my career, so, I was just ready for anything in the zone and trusted myself and went with it."
- On what the team needs to do in order to keep being successful: 
"We just need to keep pushing runs across and get some more run support for our pitchers and we will go from there."

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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