TROY, Ala. | South Alabama broke open a tie game with a pair of runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth to pull away and take the series with a 7-2 win in the finale Sunday afternoon at the Troy Softball Complex.
South Alabama (29-16-1, 14-7 SBC) wraps up the seven-game road trip with the win to finish with a 6-1 mark on the swing.
Bailey Welch was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, while
Mackenzie Brasher scored a run and had a two-run triple in the third to break a 1-1 tie.
Gabby Stagner also had a RBI double and walked.
Olivia Lackie (20-7) scattered eight hits and allowed just one earned run, while she struck out four, and stranded nine Trojan base runners.
Libby Baker (14-10) took the loss and homered for Troy (32-19, 12-9 SBC).
Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the team bouncing back to take the series: "I'm incredibly proud of our effort and toughness this weekend. Bouncing back after the extra-inning loss on Friday was huge for us. We showed a lot of grit and toughness bouncing back and taking the series on their home field. I thought we grew as a team over these last three days and that's the coolest part for me."
Graduate senior OF Mackenzie Brasher
- On getting the series win: "We knew this weekend would be about coming together as a team and fighting. We took a step forward at the plate and started playing with freedom. Winning this series was huge and something we are going to build on going into the final weekend of the regular season."
Senior OF Bailey Welch
- On her day at the plate: "I've been really working hard in the cages trying to get my swing where it needs to be. Today, I just let myself loose and knew that I just needed to be good barrel on good ball."
- On getting the road series win: "Getting the series win today is huge for us. We came off a tough loss on Friday night, but I think what makes us stand out is that we bounced back loud. We came together and played as a team. I think that shows the grit and toughness this team has. I'm really proud of us."
How It Happened
• After stranding runners at third each of the first two innings, South Alabama was able to push across a run and take the lead with a run in top of the third. Stagner lined a two-out, double off the base of the wall in right center to score
Marley Sims all the way from first (USA, 1-0).
• Troy scored an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game up as Natalie Turner – who had singled – came around to score after a Jaguar error when a double-play attempt was dropped and deflected off the umpire's foot before rolling out into shallow right center.
• The Jags quickly grabbed back the lead the next half inning.
Sasha Willems drew a one-out walk and with two away in the inning, Welch put runners at the corners with a single to left. Brasher then came through with the big two-out hit as she tripled to the gap in left center to put South back out in front (USA, 3-1).
• Troy attempted to answer back, placing a pair aboard with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but Lackie induced a pop out to short to leave the Trojan runners stranded.
• South Alabama gained some breathing room in its half of the fifth. Stagner drew a walk to start the frame for the Jags and
Olivia Branstetter followed with an infield single.
Sidney Lee then dropped in a single of her own that was just out of reach of the Trojan shortstop. Pinch runner
Brooklynn Bockhaus then came home on a RBI fielder's choice by
Odalys Cordova (USA, 4-1). One batter later, South tacked on another run on a sac fly to center by Willems, bringing in
Marlayna Capaldi (USA, 5-1). Amity White then scored the third run of the inning for the Jags with a RBI single to right center, plating Cordova who had moved into scoring position on the sac fly (USA, 6-1).
• Brasher reached for the second time in the game with a leadoff walk in the South Alabama sixth. Brasher then stole second and moved to third on Sims' sacrifice bunt. One pitch later, Brasher came home on a wild pitch (USA, 7-1).
• Troy was able to get a run back as Baker led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run (USA, 7-2).
• Jade Sinness and D'Aun Riggs recorded back-to-back, one-out singles in the Trojan seventh, and the two runners then moved up a base on a ground out to third. Baker then drew a walk to load the bases, but Lackie got a Finch to fly out to Brasher in center to end the game.
Postgame Notes
• The meeting marked the 52nd in the all-time series between the two clubs
• South now leads the all-time series 33-19 and improves to 16-11 in Troy
• The Jags have won six of last seven in the series
• In a streak dating back to May 7, 2021, Brasher has made 156 consecutive starts, which is two shy of tying
Kristian Foster (158) for sixth all-time in the category
• Brasher (222) also tied Blair Johnson's (2012-15) program mark for games played at South
• The RBI-triple was the first of the spring for Brasher, who has had at least one hit in 17 of her last 21, tallying 29 hits over the 21-game stretch, and reached base safely in 18 of those contests
• The center fielder (141) tied Emily Messer (2013-16) for third in career runs scored
• Brasher has scored a run in six of her last seven games and stolen a base in five of those games
• The third-inning RBI double was Stagner's 60th career extra-base hit at South and the 100th of her Jaguar career
• Stagner (33) also moved into a tie for seventh with Kaitlyn Griffith (2012-15) all-time in the career doubles at South
• Of Stagner's 42 hits, 29 have gone for extra bases, and she has had an extra-base hit in eight of her last 10
• Stagner has also had at least one hit in 11 of her last 13, and at least one RBI in nine of those outings, driving in 14 during that stretch
• With her two hits, Welch has had a hit in four of her last six and reached base safely in nine of her last 10, and 19 of her last 25
• Branstetter has had a hit in four of her last seven and reached base safely in seven of her last nine
Up Next
• South Alabama will return home to host Southern Miss in its final home series of the spring. First pitch versus the Golden Eagles is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday night at Jaguar Field.
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