SAN MARCOS, Texas | Olivia Lackie tossed a complete-game shutout Sunday afternoon as South Alabama earned the Sun Belt Conference series win versus Texas State with a 7-0 victory at Bobcat Stadium.

Lackie (11-4) tossed a two-hitter and struck out seven, while South Alabama (22-10, 5-1 SBC) was led at the plate by the trio of Meredith Keel, Mackenzie Brasher and Victoria Ortiz who each had two hits apiece. Keel scored a pair of runs, Brasher scored a run and drove in a run, and Ortiz had a double, scored three times and drove in three. 

Odalys Cordova also had three RBI and Sasha Willems tied a school record with three sacrifice hits in the win.

South Alabama had the leadoff batter reach six of its seven innings, while Texas State (20-13-1, 1-4-1 SBC) didn't have the leadoff batter reach in the game.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On bouncing back and taking the series: "Today was a great team win. We applied pressure from the beginning and maintained it throughout the entire game. Liv (Lackie) and our defense played extremely well, and offensively, we executed consistently for seven innings. These wins (this weekend) are huge so I was extremely proud of our effort and compete mentality."                 

Senior 3B Meredith Keel
- On bouncing back with the win: "Yesterday, our team got outside of our approach at the plate and away from who we are as a team. This morning, all of us talked and agreed that we needed to get back to doing what we do best and do it together collectively as a team. Today's win is huge because it shows us as a team that when we stick to playing the game how we know to play it, good things happen."

- On the offensive production from the top of the lineup on Sunday: "Being apart of the topo of the lineup and setting the tone early was a key part of our momentum today. (Mackenzie) Brasher and I using our speed to get on base and then trusting our power girls behind us is textbook South Alabama softball. I was happy to see that adjustment today. Vic (Ortiz) had a great day at the plate, and Sasha (Willems) putting down those three sac bunts was huge from an execution piece."

Junior P Olivia Lackie
- On her performance in the circle: "I feel like I had a good outing today. I really wanted to come through for my teammates and worked really hard to generate outs for them."

- On bouncing back to get the series win: "It's a huge deal the way we were able to bounce back after yesterday's loss. We really came together as a team and played for each other, which I'm super proud of."

South Alabama 7, Texas State 0
Keel singled to left to lead off the top of the first, and Brasher then reached on a bunt single and Keel put runners at the corners after a Bobcat throwing error. Ortiz then put the Jags on top 1-0 with a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Keel.

Katarina Zarete walked to start the bottom half of the third and two batters later, Zarete moved into scoring position as she stole second. Lackie was able to get a called third strike and leave the Bobcat runner stranded.

For the second-straight inning, the Jags had their leadoff batter reach due to a Bobcat error – their third of the game – in the fourth, and Ortiz then moved into scoring position on Willems' sac bunt. Another Texas State error then put runners at the corners with one out, and Cordova then put the Jags up by two with a single back up the middle that plated Ortiz.

With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Sara Vanderford drew a walk after an 11-pitch at-bat where she fouled off six two-strike pitches by Lackie. Anna Jones then singled through the right side of the infield to put a pair on for Texas State. The Jag righthander ended the scoring threat one batter later as she was able to get Karmyn Bass swinging – her fifth strikeout of the contest – to end the frame and preserve the 2-0 South Alabama lead.

South Alabama broke the game open with four runs on four hits in the top of the fifth. Marley Sims and Keel led off the top of the fifth with back-to-back bunt singles, and the two Jags then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Brasher then lined an RBI-single to right, scoring Sims from third, and advanced to second on the throw home, extending the South advantage to 3-0. Ortiz then delivered a two-run single to right and moved up to second on Texas State's fifth error of the game. The right fielder was then sacrificed up by Willems and Gabby Stagner was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners at the corners. Cordova then plated the fourth run of the inning (6-0).

Staked with a six-run lead, Lackie had a shutdown inning in the bottom half of the inning, retiring the side in order – one of her five times to do so in the contest.

Ortiz led off the Jag seventh with a double to left center and Willems then moved her to third as she laid down her third sacrifice bunt of the day. Stagner then drew a walk to put runners at the corners, and Ortiz came in one batter later when Cordova reached on an error to make it 7-0.

The Bobcats threatened to break up the shutout in their half of the seventh with a two-out triple, but Lackie was able to get a fly out to right to end the game.

Scoring Summary
•    1st Inn | Ortiz flied out to center, sacrifice, RBI; Keel scored, unearned (1-0, USA)
•    4th Inn | Cordova singled up the middle, RBI; Ortiz scored, unearned (2-0, USA)
•    5th Inn | Brasher singled to right, RBI; Sims scored (3-0, USA)
•    5th Inn | Ortiz singled to right, 2 RBI; Keel scored and Brasher scored (5-0, USA)
•    5th Inn | Cordova reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Ortiz scored, unearned (6-0, USA)
•    7th Inn | Cordova reached on an error by 3b, RBI; Ortiz scored (7-0, USA)

Postgame Notes
•    The road series win marked the second-straight by South in the series
•    The first three in the lineup for the Jags – Keel, Brasher and Ortiz – were a combined 6-for-11 at the plate, scored five runs and drove in four
•    Both Keel and Ortiz lead the team with 10 multi-hit games this season
•    Keel has had at least one hit in 22 of South's 32 games, including 10 multi-hit efforts, and scored a run in nine of her last 12
•    With her two hits, Keel recorded her 33rd multi-hit game as a Jag, moving her into a tie for 14th with Haley Hopkins (2009-12) and Evelyne Pare (2007-08)
•    Brasher has had a hit in 12 of her last 15 games, and reached base safely in 13 of those contests, and scored 12 runs
•    The multi-hit game by Brasher marked 37th of her career, moving the center fielder into a tie for ninth in the category with Kamdyn Kvistad (2018-22)
•    Ortiz has driven in at least one run 11 of her last 15 amassing 23 RBI over that stretch
•    With her three RBI, Ortiz (109) moved into seventh-place at South, passing former Jags Haley Hopkins (2009-12) and Kristian Foster (2015-18)
•    The multi-RBI game was Ortiz's 31st of her career, moving her into a tie for third with Kvistad
•    Ortiz also moved into a three-way tie with Stephanie Pilkington (2013-16) and Amanda Minahan (2014-17) for sixth in multi-hit as she now has 41 for her career
•    Ortiz has had at least one hit in 12 of her last 14, and over the last 12 games, she has recorded seven multi-hit games, had nine extra-base hits, scored 12 runs and driven in 22 runs
•    Ortiz's seventh-inning double moved her into sole possession of the career category as it was the 41st of her career and the 74th career extra-base hit 
•    With her RBI single, Cordova has had a hit in nine of her last 13 games
•    Sims has reached base safely in 21 of her last 29
•    The three sacrifice bunts by Willems tied a single-game record (Julie Moss vs. Ohio State, 2/18/11)
•    Lackie (94) moved into a tie for fourth all-time at South in appearances in the circle with former Jag Farish Beard (2012-15)
•    Lackie also tied Beard for third in career complete games as she went the distance for the 43rd time in her career
•    The shutout was the ninth of the season for Lackie and the 25th of her career

Up Next
•    South Alabama will return home to host ULM in a three-game SBC series with game one set for Friday at 6 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

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