MOBILE, Ala. |
Olivia Lackie became South Alabama's all-time career shutouts leader as she tossed a three-hitter Sunday to lead the Jaguars to a 2-0 victory over UAB on the final day of the South Alabama Invitational presented by Marriott Mobile at Jaguar Field.
The shutout was the 32nd of Lackie's (5-1) career, passing
Devin Brown (31, 2015-18). The Walker, La., native struck out 10 batters and allowed just five total base runners in the win.
Sasha Willems was 2-for-3 at the plate with a RBI and
Gabby Stagner also had a pair of hits, including a two-run home run, her third of the spring, in the sixth inning.
Along with Lackie, Stagner, Willems and
Mackenzie Brasher from South Alabama, Kennedy Drafton (EKU), Jaelin Haynes (EKU), Jasmine Miller (EKU), Maddie Rutan (EKU), Vianna Barron (EKU), Bella Wiggins (UAB), Alyssa Hollo (CMU) and Jenna Turner (NIU) were selected to the all-tournament team.
South Alabama improved to 7-2 on the year, while UAB dropped to 3-6.
Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On bouncing back with the win: "It was important for us to bounce back today and finish the weekend in the win column. Liv (
Olivia Lackie) gave us seven solid innings and shut things down every time they started to get something going. It's pretty cool to see her take over the shutout program record and I'm glad she was able to do that on her home field. Gabby (Stagner) had a great day at the plate working the other way and gave us the insurance run at the end. This week is a big week for us so looking for us to keep things moving forward and getting stronger each time out."
How It Happened
• Brasher beat the throw to first for a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, and then moved into scoring position with her seventh stolen base of the spring. After moving up a base on a fly out, Willems lined a single to right center to score Brasher and give South the 1-0 advantage.
• UAB's Lindsey Smith doubled off the wall in left to begin the top of the third, but Lackie didn't allow the Blazer base runner to advance anymore as she got a pop up to short and struck out a pair, including getting Lilly Crowe looking to end the inning.
• UAB also had runners at second and third with two outs in the top of the fifth, but Lackie was able to get Hannah Dorsett swinging to work out of the jam.
• Jags were able to get an insurance run two innings later when Stagner worked the count full and then unloaded on a 3-2 offering, hammering the pitch over the wall in left (USA, 2-0).
Postgame Notes
• The meeting marked the 16th in the all-time series between the two clubs, as South Alabama now leads 13-3
• The meeting was the first in the series since the 2018 season
• Willems batted a tournament-best .643 as she was 9-for-14 at the plate with three runs scored and four RBI
• Stagner also finished the four-game event with a .462 batting average and five of her six hits went for extra bases, while she drove in seven
• Brasher made her 119th consecutive start, and made her 148th start in center field
• Brasher extended her current hit streak to five games, and the senior has had at least one hit and scored a run in eight of South's nine games
• The Orange Beach, Ala., native has also scored at least one run in all but one game this spring
• Willems extended her hit streak to nine games, tying a career best in the category for the senior catcher, with her first-inning RBI-single
• Sidney Lee extended her reached base safely streak to five games with her second-inning single
• Stagner extended her hit streak to a career best nine games with her fourth-inning double
• Of the junior first baseman's nine of her 15 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including four doubles
• Stagner has now hit a home run in each of her last two games
• The multi-hit game was the 23rd of Stagner's career and her 18th multi-RBI game
• Stagner has driven in at least one run in seven of South's nine games this season and leads the team with 11 RBI
• After her 10-strikeout performance, Lackie (712) is just 23 punch outs from moving into a tie for second place with Beth Pilgrim (735, 2007-10) in the category
• It was Lackie's 21st-career double-digit strikeout performance
• Lackie threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 26 batters she face, and retired the side in order in the second, sixth and seventh innings, while striking out the side in the third
• Lackie struck out a Blazer batter to end every inning, including the first, third, fourth and sixth innings when UAB had runners in scoring position
• The game marked the last home game for the Jaguars until they open Sun Belt Conference play versus Louisiana for a three-game series set to begin on March 15.
Up Next
• South Alabama will open up a 15-game swing with a midweek contest at Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday with first pitch versus the Lions set for 5 p.m. at North Oak Park in Hammond, La.
FOLLOW THE JAGS
For complete coverage of South Alabama Softball, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaSB (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaSB (Facebook), @SouthAlabamaSB (Instagram) or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at usajaguars.com.
