FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. | After dropping its first game of the day to Northern Iowa, 7-2, South Alabama bounced back to defeat No. 18 Arkansas, 2-1 in the nightcap on day one of the Razorback Rumble held at Bogle Park.

Senior P Olivia Lackie
- On bouncing back against Arkansas: "After the loss to UNI earlier today, the team decided to flush the game and prepare for our outing against Arkansas. My goal going into that game was to make one pitch at a time and give my defense a chance to make plays behind me."

- On getting out of jams in a one-run game: "It was really big for us to work out of those jams because it gave us momentum going into the top of the next inning on offense."

Game 1 – Northern Iowa 7, (RV) South Alabama 2
Northern Iowa (10-7) jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the opening frame and South Alabama (12-6-1) was only able to pull within one on two occasions, before the Panthers pulled away to pick up a 7-2 victory.

Mackenzie Brasher recorded two of South's five hits in the loss, while Northern Iowa was led by the top two batters in the lineup – Keylee Sanders who was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Alexis Pupillo who also had a pair of extra-base hits – a double and a home run – a walk, three runs scored and a pair of RBI.

How It Happened 
•    Sanders led off the game for Northern Iowa with a single to right and moved all the way around to third base on the play when the ball was misplayed. Pupillo lined a double into the gap in right center, scoring Sanders from third and giving the Panthers the early 1-0 lead. With two outs in the inning, Kate Lappe dropped in a double just inside the right field line to score the second run of the inning (UNI, 2-0). 
•    Odalys Cordova bounced a one-out single passed third base and moved to second one batter later after a ground out, but Anna Wischnowski (6-2) left the Jaguar runner stranded with a fly out to right.
•    After leaving a runner in scoring position the previous inning, the Jaguars cut the deficit in half with a run in their half of the third. Bailey Welch walked on four-straight out of the zone to lead off inning for South. Marley Sims then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the senior leftfielder into scoring position, setting the table for the top of the Jaguar lineup. Brasher lined a single to shallow left to put runners at the corners. With two outs, South Alabama executed the delayed double steal as Brasher stole her 12th base of the spring and moved up to third on a throwing error, while Welch came home (UNI, 2-1).
•    Ava Smithson and Savanna Jemillo were hit by pitches with two outs in the fourth to put a pair on for Northern Iowa, but Madison Lagle was able to get out of the inning with a pop out to first.
•    Pupillo extended the Panther lead back out to two (3-1) as she homered to right, her seventh home run of the spring.
•    Shelby Garrett blasted a 2-0 pitch to lead off the bottom of the fifth with a home run to left to again pull the Jags within a run (3-2). Brasher then recorded her second hit of the afternoon with a single to left and stole second to move into scoring position, but Wischnowski was able to leave her there with her third strikeout of the game.
•    UNI answered back the next half inning with a solo home run off the bat of Smithson to make it 4-2.
•     Northern Iowa added some insurance in the top of the seventh with three runs on three hits. Sanders led off the seventh for the Panthers with a double and then moved to third when ball four to Pupillo was high, putting runners at the corners. Pupillo also moved into scoring position with a stolen base and Northern Iowa added to its lead on Madison Parks' sack fly (UNI, 5-2).
•     Addison McElrath plated the second run of the inning when she lined a double to left that was just out of the reach of Welch, scoring Pupillo (UNI, 6-2). With two outs in the inning, Taylor Hogan drove in another run (7-2) with a RBI single to right center.

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the third this season and the fifth in the all-time series between the two clubs 
•    Of the previous meetings, it was the first series meeting to occur at a location other than Tuscaloosa, Ala.
•    In a streak dating back to May 7, 2021, Brasher made her 129th consecutive start, which is tied with Blair Johnson for ninth longest streak all-time at South Alabama
•    The start was the 188th of Brasher's career moving her into the program's Top 10 in the career category
•    With her third-inning single, Brasher has had at least one hit in three of her last four outings
•    The two-hit performance marked the 48th multi-hit game of Brasher's career, moving her into a tie with Johnson for fifth place in the category at South
•    Olivia Lackie's strikeout of Lamprecht to end the sixth inning was the 750th of her career
•    Gabby Stagner had her 19-game reached base safely come to an end as she was held hitless and did not reach base
•    The five doubles by UNI were a new season high allowed by Jaguar pitching
•    Of the nine home runs allowed by Jaguar pitching this season, five have come versus Northern Iowa
•    South Alabama had its scoring opportunities, but was just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position 

Game 2 – (RV) South Alabama 2, at No. 18 Arkansas 1
South Alabama (13-6-1) picked up its third win over a Top 25 opponent this season as the Jaguars defeated 18th-ranked Arkansas, 2-1 behind Lackie's complete game effort.

Lackie (9-3) scattered six hits and struck out four in the win. Sims was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, while Brasher and Stagner each had a hit and scored a run.

Arkansas (17-5) had a pair of players record multiple hits as Reagan Johnson and Atalyia Pijo each had two hits apiece.

How It Happened 
•    Johnson reached on an infield single to begin the bottom of the first for Arkansas, and moved into scoring position on a ground out. With two outs in the frame, the Razorbacks took the early lead after Bri Ellis doubled to right to score Johnson from second (UA, 1-0).
•    In the top of the third, Brooklynn Bockhaus worked the count full and drew a leadoff walk – the first base runner for the Jags – and was then moved into scoring position one batter later on a sac bunt by Welch. Two batters later with two outs, Brasher dropped in a single in shallow left and advanced to second on the play as Bockhaus slid home safely to tie the game at 1-1. Stagner then doubled to center, scoring Brasher and giving the Jags the 2-1 lead.
•    Johnson singled to left – her second hit in as many at bats – to start the bottom of the third and moved up to second on a ground out. A wild pitch moved Johnson to third with two outs in the inning and Ellis was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners. Another wild pitch in the inning put two runners in scoring position for the Razorbacks, but Lackie was able to get a pop out to right to end the threat.
•    Rijo lined a two-out double into the gap in left center, but two pitches later, Lackie was able to strand her at second with a pop out to second.
•    For the third straight inning, South Alabama had the leadoff batter reach with a walk as Welch drew the free pass. Sims then dropped in a single in shallow right center to turn it over to the top of the Jaguar lineup. However, Arkansas reliever Morgan Leinstock entered the game and retired the next three batters with a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice.
•    With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Arkansas put the potential tying run at third after Johnson tripled, but Cordova made an outstanding diving grab on a hard-hit liner to second and Lackie was able to get Ellis to pop out to Sims at short along the foul line just behind the bag at third.
•    Lackie went on to retire the final eight batters of the game, striking out Johnson looking to end the game 

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the first in the all-time series between the two clubs
•    The meeting also marked the fourth versus a ranked opponent this spring and was the fourth of six contests versus an opponent from the Southeastern Conference listed on the 2024 schedule for the Jags
•    South Alabama improved to 3-0-1 versus opponents currently ranked in the Top 25 with Lackie holding all three of those victories
•    With the win, Lackie also moved into third place in career wins at South as she picked up the 64th of her career, passing Farish Beard (63, 2012-15)
•    Brasher moved into stand-alone ninth place as she made her 130th consecutive start in the category at South Alabama
•    With her RBI double in the top of the third, Stagner has had a hit in 17 of her 20 games this spring
•    Welch has had a hit in three of her last five games and reached base safely in four of those games
•    Cordova extended her current hit streak to a career-best six games

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue play at the Razorback Rumble with a pair of games on Saturday – vs. Nebraska at 12:15 p.m. and Arkansas at 7 p.m. 

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