MOBILE, Ala. |
Olivia Lackie tossed a one-hit, complete game shutout and the South Alabama offense came alive as the Jags closed out the regular season with a 6-0 victory over Southern Miss Saturday afternoon at Jaguar Field.
Lackie (22-7) allowed just three base runners – an infield single and a pair of walks – while striking out six in her 21st complete game and ninth shutout of the season.
South Alabama (31-17, 16-8 SBC) will now prepare for next week's Sun Belt Conference tournament where the third-seeded Jags will open up postseason play against sixth-seeded ULM on Thursday in the quarterfinal round at 4 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas. The Jaguars swept the regular-season series versus the Warhawks in Monroe, La., but games one and three of the series were decided by one run.
Olivia Branstetter and
Gabby Stagner were both 2-for-3 at the plate, while the latter scored a pair of runs and drove in two with her 14th home run of the spring.
Marley Sims walked twice and was hit by a pitch, and scored two runs.
Odalys Cordova also had a RBI triple and scored a run.
Sasha Willems had a walk and a pair of sacrifice hits, while
Bailey Welch drove in a run with a sac fly and was also credited with a sacrifice bunt.
Southern Miss fell to 22-28 on the year and 10-14 in league play with the loss.
Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On today's game: "Today was a great way to end the regular season. I'm proud of this senior group and all they have accomplished for our program. To have Gabby (Stagner) break the home run record was icing on the cake. We needed this final win going into the tournament and look forward to starting the next round of our season."
Senior P Olivia Lackie
- On her mindset in the circle: "My mindset coming into today was to go after each pitch and compete for all seven innings. My command in the circle was something I have been working on for a couple of games now and I was happy to see it come together today to help my team the win."
- On where the team is at heading into the postseason: "I think we are in a great place after today's win heading into the conference tournament. We need to use this momentum to carry us forward through the postseason as we compete and push each other to be better."
Junior 1B Gabby Stagner
- On setting the single-season home run record at South Alabama: "There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears poured into this season, and to know that all my hard work has paid off is an awesome feeling. I just want everyone to know that I couldn't have done it without Jesus Christ. He has been with me every step of the way through the ups and downs that come with being an athlete."
- On bouncing back with the win to take the series: "That was a big win for us, especially after the loss last night. We all just wanted to come out fighting for our seniors as this was their last game at Jaguar Field. I think it put us in a great spot as we head into the conference tournament next week."
How It Happened
• Willems drew a walk to begin the bottom half of the second, and pinch runner
Caitlyn Gavin stole second to move into scoring position. Gavin then moved up a base on Welch's sacrifice bunt and came home one batter later on Cordova's triple to right (USA, 1-0). Pinch hitter
Shelby Garrett followed with a sac fly to left to extend the Jag lead to 2-0.
• Sims was hit by a pitch to start the Jaguar third and Stagner lined a ball the other way with a single to right to put runners at the corners. Branstetter dropped in a single in shallow center to score Sims (USA, 3-0) and Willems then laid down a bunt to put runners at second and third with one out, and Stagner came home for the second run of the inning on Welch's sac fly to left (USA, 4-0).
• Sims reached for the third time in as many plate appearances with a lead-off walk to begin the bottom of the fifth and Stagner launched her 14th home run of the season on the very next pitch (USA, 6-0).
Postgame Notes
• The meeting marked the 29th in the all-time series between the two clubs and the 14th in Mobile
• With the win, South improves to 21-7-1 in the all-time series and has won 11 of the 14 meetings in Mobile, and five of the sixth since Southern Miss joined the Sun Belt
• The game was delayed from starting for approximately 50 minutes due to rain
•
Mackenzie Brasher made her 159th consecutive start for South Alabama, moving her passed Kristen Foster (158) for sole possession of sixth-longest streak in program history
• The start in the circle marked the 100th of Lackie's career, while the shutout was the 40th of the senior righty's Jaguar career
• Sims has reached base safely in four of her last six after drawing her first-inning walk, and with the run scored, she has also scored a run over that same stretch
• The strike out of Kayla Agner to end the second inning was the 200th of the spring for Lackie
• The sacrifice bunt was the 16th of Welch's career, moving the senior into a tie for 10th all-time at South, and Willems' also joined her later as her two sacrifices gave her 16 for her career
• Cordova has scored a run in four of her last five games
• With her second-inning single,
Stephanie Gonzalez has reached base safely in 10 of her last 13
• Stagner has now in reached base safely in 12-straight games – 41 total this season – and had a hit in 35 of her 47 outings
• Stagner has also had at least one hit in 13 of her last 16, and at least one RBI in 10 of those outings, driving in 16 during that stretch
• The two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth by Stagner moved the junior first baseman passed Kaitlyn Griffith (13) for the program's single-season home run mark at South, which had been held since the 2015 season
• The home run was also the 26th of Stagner's career moving her into fifth-place all-time
• It was also the 62nd extra-base hit of Stagner's (33-3-26) Jaguar career, moving her into a tie with
Kamdyn Kvistad (2018-22 | 62, 25-1-36) for seventh in the category
• Stagner has also had an extra-base hit in 12 of her last 16 games: five doubles, seven home runs – homering in each of her last two
• The multi-RBI game was the 26th of Stagner's career, tying her with former Jag Christin Crocker (26, 2009-12) and Haley Hopkins (26, 2009-12) for eighth-most at South
• Branstetter has had a hit in eight of her last 10 and reached base safely in 11 of her last 13
• The two-hit performance was the eighth multi-hit effort of the season for Branstetter and the series
• The multi-hit game was also the 26th of Stagner's career, tying her with Julie Moss (2011-14) for 22nd-most at South in the career category
• Welch has driven in six runs over her last eight outings
Up Next
• South Alabama will next open up play at the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas, next week when the Jags take on ULM on Thursday at 4 p.m.
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