Box Score COLUMBIA, S.C. | South Alabama's offense erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the second Friday morning enroute to an 8-0, six-inning victory over UMass in the opening game of the Gamecock Invitational held at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

The win for South Alabama (9-2) was the club's sixth in its last seven outings. Ryley Harrison (3-1) picked up the win, allowing just two hits, two walks and striking out a career-best nine.

Mackenzie Brasher had a pair of hits and drove in a pair, including the walk-off run, while Gabby Stagner had a two-run home run. Sasha Willems doubled and scored a run, while Olivia Branstetter reached twice with a walk and a double, scored a run and drove in a run as well. Gracie Tentinger also had a RBI double.

Quotable 
Freshman P Rylie Harrison
- On bouncing back after the slow start and the offense providing early runs: "With a slow start, Coach Hannah (Campbell) just talked to me about trusting myself in the dugout. Offense has been a huge role player in every game we've played. Whether it be scoring first, jumping on the first pitcher and getting her off the mound, having a big inning three runs or more, and quality at bats. For myself and probably most every pitcher would say pitching with a lead is way easier than a tight game. Our offense does a great job to take some relief.

- On what clicked for her in the circle after the first inning: "After the mound meeting with Sasha (Willems) and Coach Hannah, I settled in a little better. I was getting a little frustrated, but Coach Hannah and told me to go into trust mode and compete. After that I didn't try to make a perfect pitch every time, I just wanted to go and compete."

Senior OF Mackenzie Brasher
- On the two-out run production in the second inning: "One of our goals is to score with two outs, so that's something our team takes to heart. With two outs, we understand that we aren't trying to do too much. We use the big part of the field and stay aggressive at the plate."

- On her walk-off hit: "We were trying to help our pitchers out by getting that last run across. Timely hitting is important and we executed that in the sixth inning. We stuck to our approach and got into scoring position. I knew if I put the ball into play that Erin (McGlothlin) would score."

How It Happened 
•    UMass (3-8) opened up the game with back-to-back walks issued to Odyssey Torres and Chloe Whittier. After a strikeout, Sarah Keagy dropped in a single in shallow right, but Stephanie Gonzalez got to the ball quickly and was able to throw out Torres at home. The Minutewomen loaded the bases one batter later as Lydia Castro was hit by a pitch, but Harrison snagged a liner back up the middle to get herself out of the jam.
•    After loading the bases, Harrison settled in and retired 17 of the final 19 batters that she faced, only allowing two base runners – a double and a hit batter
•    Branstetter walked on four-straight out of the zone to start the bottom of the second for the Jags. Sidney Lee then drew a walk to put two runners aboard, and Tentinger then plated a run with a double off the wall in left, scoring Branstetter (USA, 1-0). With two runners in scoring position, Bailey Welch laid down a squeeze bunt, which scored pinch runner Caitlyn Gavin from third to double the Jaguar advantage (2-0).
•    Marley Sims brought in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Tentinger, and Brasher followed with an RBI single (USA, 4-0). The scoring wasn't done though as Stagner blasted a two-run home run over the wall in left center to give South a 6-0 lead.
•    Willems doubled to the gap in left center and then Branstetter stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning. The freshman third baseman doubled down the line in left to plate the seventh run of the inning.
•    In the bottom of the sixth, Stephanie Gonzalez dropped in a one-out, double in left center, pinch hitter Shelby Garrett had a hard-hit ball back up the middle that moved pinch runner Erin McGlothlin to third, and Brasher reached on an infield hit to push across the winning run (USA, 8-0).

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the third in the all-time series between the two clubs 
•    In a streak dating back to May 7, 2021, Mackenzie Brasher has made 121 consecutive starts, which is the 12th-longest streak all-time at South Alabama
•    It was also Brasher's 150th career start in centerfield
•    Harrison entered the game with five strikeouts through her first four starts, but recorded a career high nine in the win
•    The shutout was the third of the season for Harrison as well
•    Of the seven runs scored by South in the bottom of the second, four came with two outs, and the Jags now have 19 two-out RBI on the year
•    The double by Willems was her first extra-base hit of the season as her previous 15 had been singles
•    The seven-run, second inning marked the second seven-run inning of the spring by the Jags (vs. Central Michigan, first inning, 2/16) and the third of five or more runs
•    Brasher extended her hit streak to seven games and has had at least one hit and scored a run in 10 of her 11 outings this spring
•    Brasher has also stolen a base in four of her last five and leads the team with eight
•    Both Stagner and Willems extended their career-high hit streaks to 11 games each
•    Stagner has homered in three of her last four games, and had an extra-base hit in each of her last seven games: three doubles, two triples and three home runs over that stretch
•    Stagner has driven in at least one run in seven of her last eight games; 10 RBI over that stretch
•    Welch has driven in a run in four of her last six games
•    Five of South Alabama's seven hits came with two outs and the Jaguars were 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position
•    Sidney Lee has reached base safely in six of her seven games this spring

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue play on Saturday with a pair of games as the Jags will take on Charlotte at 9 a.m. (CT) and then South Carolina at 2 p.m. (CT).

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