FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. | South Alabama suffered a pair of losses Saturday on day two of the Razorback Rumble, falling 5-1 to Nebraska and 10-4 to 18th-ranked Arkansas at Bogle Park.

Gracie Tentinger recorded three hits in the two games and drove in three runs.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On Saturday's play: "We've created a lot of our own adversity and need to get back to fundamental softball. We have to get consistent because right now we are too up and down. We have a quick turn around with tonight's late game and the early game so tomorrow will be a test for us. We have to finish this part of our schedule up playing the game the right way.

Game 1 – (RV) Nebraska 5, (RV) South Alabama 1
Nebraska (11-11) scored a pair of runs in the opening inning to lead from the outset as the Jaguars (13-7-1) dropped the opening game, 5-1 to the Cornhuskers.

Sydney Gray was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, three RBI and a pair of home runs for Nebraska. Tentinger was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Jags.

South Alabama had its scoring opportunities in the game, leaving seven runners on base, including three in scoring position. The Jags were 2-for-9 with runners on and 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

How It Happened 
•    After a 12-pitch at-bat which included fouling off seven two-strike pitches, Brooke Andrews lined a one-out double off the wall in right center in the opening frame. South was able to get a fly out to center and then looked as if it were going to get out of the inning unscathed after a pop up on the infield, but miscommunication led to it dropping for a hit, allowing Br. Andrews to come all the way around from second and give Nebraska the early lead (1-0). One batter later, the Cornhuskers doubled their lead as Gray doubled to center to score Bella Bacon (UN, 2-0).
•    Shelby Garrett drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the second for the Jaguars. Two batters later, Tentinger lined a two-out single through the left side of the infield, but Kaylin Kinney (7-6) induced a ground out – one of her 11 in the game – to first to leave the runners stranded.
•    South had a scoring opportunity in its half of the third. Mackenzie Brasher reached on a one-out infield single and then stole second, but was thrown out at third after trying to advance. The mistake proved costly as Gabby Stagner doubled to left, which would have plated a run. She was left in scoring position after a ground out to second ended the inning.
•    After the missed scoring opportunity by the Jags, Nebraska extended its lead to 3-0 as Gray led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run to straight-away center.
•    Garrett reached on an infield single with one out in the bottom of the fourth and two batters later, Tentinger recorded her second hit of the day back up the middle to put a pair on for the Jags. Kinney was able to get a fielder's choice though for the final out of the inning.
•    Marley Sims walked to begin the bottom of the fifth for South and moved to second on a ground out one batter later. A wild pitch later moved Sims to third who then came home to score the first run of the game for the Jags on Stagner's sacrifice fly to left (UN, 3-1). After getting down in the count 0-2, Sasha Willems battled back to work the count full before lining a double to the gap in right center. Olivia Branstetter was then hit by a pitch to put the tying run aboard, but Kinney was able to get a strikeout looking to leave a pair on.
•    Gray led off the sixth with her second home run of the game, stretching the lead back out to three (4-1). Caitlynn Neal followed with a double and Alina Felix bounced a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield to put runners at the corners. Nebraska went up 5-1 one batter later on a fielder's choice after Neal beat the tag attempt at home. 

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the first in the all-time series between the two clubs 
•    In a streak dating back to May 7, 2021, Brasher made her 131st consecutive start, which ranks as ninth-longest such streak in program history
•    With her third-inning double, the 26th of her career, Stagner moved into the Top 10 in the career category at South tying Chloe Rathburn (2014-15) and Haley Hopkins (2009-12)
•    Stagner has reached base in 20 of South Alabama's 21 games, recording at least one hit in ?? of those contests
•    The multi-hit game was the second of the season for Tentinger
•    Brasher has had a hit in each of her last four and five of her last six
•    Gray's two home run performance is the second by an opponent this season (Kara Daly, Missouri, 2/10), and marked the 16th time in program history an opponent has done so
•    Odalys Cordova had her six-game hit streak come to an end

Game 2 –No. 18 Arkansas 10, (RV) South Alabama 4
No. 18 Arkansas (19-5) used a seven-run first to take control en route to a 10-4 victory over South Alabama in the night cap.

Tentinger record her second home run of the season for the Jags (13-8-1), driving in all three runs on the night for South Alabama.

How It Happened 
•    After retiring the side in order to start the game, Arkansas erupted for seven runs and sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first. Hannah Camenzind (5-0) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom half of the first and Bri Ellis put runners at first and second when she dropped in a base hit in shallow center field. The Razorbacks took the lead one batter later when Kennedy Miller's bouncer back up the middle deflected of Sims' glove and went into center field, allowing Camenzind to score and placing runners at the corners. 
•    With two outs in the inning, Atalyia Rijo drew a walk to load the bases and Rylin Hedgecock then cleared then when her liner dropped in for a triple in right (UA, 4-0). Nia Carter then plated the fifth run of the inning with a RBI double (UA, 5-0). Raigen Kramer added a two-run home run to extend the UA lead to 7-0.
•    Garrett lined a single to left to begin the top of the second and Cordova beat the throw to first to put runners on first and second for the Jaguars. Tentinger then continued her hot hitting as she blasted her second home run of the spring, this one a three-run shot to cut the deficit to four (7-3). 
•    Reagan Johnson lined a one-out, single back up the middle in the third who later moved into scoring position with her ninth stolen base of the season. Ellis then lined a single to center with two outs to extend the Razorback advantage to 8-3.
•    Carter and Kramer recorded their second hits of the night to begin the fifth inning for Arkansas. After each moved up a base on a ground out, Camenzind drove in a run with a ground out to first, scoring Carter from third (UA, 9-3). Ellis followed with a RBI single to left to extend the Razorback lead to 10-3.
•    South Alabama was able to get a run in the top of the seventh as pinch hitter Sidney Lee homered with one out to trim the deficit to 10-4.

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the second in the all-time series between the two clubs
•    The meeting also marked the fifth versus a ranked opponent this spring and was the fifth of six contests versus an opponent from the Southeastern Conference listed on the 2024 schedule for the Jags
•    The game marked the 900th in program history for the Jaguars
•    The loss marked the first true road loss of the season for South as it had been 4-0 in those previous games
•    Brasher made her 132nd consecutive start of her career, which ranks as ninth-longest such streak in program history
•    The seven runs allowed by the Jaguars in the first inning marked the most given up in a single inning since allowing eight runs in the fourth inning at LSU on March 10, 2010
•    With her hit in the top of the second, Cordova has now had a hit in seven of her last eight outings
•    The three-RBI performance marked the first multi-RBI game of Tentinger's Jaguar career
•    The pinch-hit home run by Lee in the seventh inning was the first by a Jag since Abby Allen's vs. Troy (5/4/23)
•    It was also the first road pinch-hit home run by a South Alabama player since Allen did so at Tennessee (3/5/23)

Up Next
•    South Alabama will close out play at the Razorback Rumble with a single game on Sunday. First pitch versus Saint Francis is set for 10 a.m.

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.
  Read Full Article