TUCSON, Ariz. | South Alabama battled 10th-ranked Arizona to a one-run decision in the opener Thursday night, but the Wildcats exploded for 15 runs in game two, picking up a 15-0, run-rule win at the Bear Down Fiesta held at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Game 1 – No. 10 Arizona 7, South Alabama 6
South Alabama (4-2) kept battling in the opener, tying the game back up on three different occasions, but Paige Dimlar's walk-off sac fly to center gave the Wildcats the victory.

Gabby Stagner had a pair of hits (double, home run) and drove in four, while Presley Lively reached three times with a pair of hits and a walk, and scored twice. Amity White also drove in a pair in the loss.

Arizona (6-1) had three players record two hits and drive in a pair. Miranda Stoddard homered twice, while Sydney Stewart had a pair of hits, drove in a pair and scored two runs, including the walk-off winner.

How It Happened 
•    Paige Dimler lined a one-out single to right in the bottom of the season that was just out of the reach of Jag second baseman Caitlyn Gavin. Stoddard lined a 2-1 pitch over the wall in center two batters later to put the host Wildcats up, 2-0. 
•    The Jaguars answered right back with a pair of runs the next half inning. Gavin reached to lead off the top of the third as she was hit by a pitch, and Frankie Andujo then reached on a fielder's choice when Arizona was unable to get the force at second, allowing Gavin to reach safely. Lively dropped in a blooper down the left field line to load the bases, and White followed with a sac fly to left, scoring Gavin (UA, 2-1). Both runners moved up on the sac fly and Stagner then tied the game up at 2-2 with a sac fly to right to plate Andujo.
•    The Wildcats quickly regained the momentum with a pair of one-out runs. Kaiah Altmeyer lined a double to left and Regan Shockey bounced a single to left center to put runners at the corners. With runners at second and third after a stolen base by Shockley, Stewart lined a double off the wall in right to score a pair to put Arizona up, 4-2.
•    Arizona added to its lead one inning later as Stoddard homered for the second time in the contest (UA, 5-2)
•    Andujo reached for the second time as she snuck a one-out single through the left side of the infield in the Jaguar fifth. After a pitching change, Andujo moved up to second on a wild pitch, and Lively then walked to put a pair on for South Alabama. With two away, Stagner tied the game back up at 5-5 when the senior first baseman unloaded on a 2-1 pitch, sending it high over the batter's eye in straight-away center.
•    Arizona responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run. With Stewart at second, Dimler bounced a ball deep in the hole in second and beat the throw to first, and on the play, Stewart kept running to score the go-ahead run (UA, 6-5). 
•    The Wildcats had a pair aboard with two outs in their half of the sixth after Altmeyer worked the count full and drew a walk, but Andujo kept it at just the one-run deficit when she snagged a liner at short.
•    South tied the game back up for the third time in the top of the seventh when White lined a ball to center that dropped and got under Shockley's glove in center and rolled to the wall, allowing Lively to race around the bases and bring the game all square (6-6).
•    In the bottom half of the inning, Stewart doubled to begin the frame and the catcher then moved up a base on a ball in the dirt. Two batters later, Dimlar drove in her second run of the game as she lined a ball to Lively in center. Lively, playing in, made a great catch, but her throw home was not in time as Stewart crossed the plate for the 7-6 victory.

Postgame Notes
•    With her first-inning double, Gabby Stagner extended her reach base safely streak to 24-straight games
•    The 24-game reached-base-safely streak now ranks as fifth-longest in program history
•    Stagner (34) moved into a tie for sixth with Brittany Fowler (2010-13) in the career list at South
•    The double was also the 68th extra-base hit of Stagner's career (34-3-31), moving her into a tie with Christin Crocker (68 -- 36-4-28, 2009-12) for third at South Alabama?? shy of tying Brittany Fowler (69 -- 34-10-25, 2010-13) for second
•    Stagner's RBI sac fly marked RBI No. 115 for her career, moving her into a tie with Crocker for fifth???
•    Stagner's three-run home run was the 32nd of her career, moving her into sole possession of second-place in the category 
•    The three RBI on the play Stagner (118) is 3 RBI shy of tying Blair Johnson (118, 2012-15) for fourth
•    With her two?? hits, Stagner (29) moved into the Top 20 and tying Katie McGuire (2007-09) and Brittani Reid (2018-19) for 19th in the career category
•    Stagner (30) is tied with Kaitlyn Griffith (2012-15) and Johnson for fifth in career multi-RBI games
•    Stagner has now recorded a hit, homered, scored a run and driven in a run in four of her last five
•    Gavin has scored a run in five of South Alabama's six games with the hit-by-pitch
•    Lively has reached base safely and scored a run each of her first six collegiate games, and has had at least one hit in each of her last five, and walked and in five of her last six outings
•    has reached base safely in each of her first six and scored a run in six games
•    With her fifth-inning single, Andujo has reached base safely in three straight
•    White has reached base safely in five of her last six

Game 2 – No. 10 Arizona 15, South Alabama 0 (5 inn.)
Arizona (7-1) batted around each of the first two innings and put up five runs each over the first three frames, and held South Alabama (4-3) without a hit to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Like the opener, Dimlar and Stoddard led the Wildcat offense as the duo both had three hits, drove in four and scored three runs, and tripled. Jenna Sniffin was also 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI. The trio each homered with Stoddard doing so twice for the second-straight game. Of Arizona's 16 hits, eight went for extra bases. 

How It Happened 
•    Arizona took control early on scoring five runs and sending 10 batters to the plate in the opening inning of the night cap. Altmeyer drew a leadoff walk to start the inning and Shockey reached on an infield single. After a ground out moved both runners up a base, Devyn Netz walked to load the bases, and Dimlar cleared them with a three-run triple (UA, 3-0). One batter later, Stoddard lifted a home run to center, extending the Wildcat lead to 5-0. 
•    For the second-straight inning, the Wildcats batted around, sending 11 batters to the plate, and tacked on five more runs to double their lead (10-0)
•    The Wildcats put up five more runs in the third inning, which was highlighted by Stoddard's second home run of the contest

Postgame Notes
•    South Alabama and Arizona have now met three times in the all-time series between the two programs
•    With her walk to start the game, Lively has now reached base safely in all seven games this spring, including in her first at-bat in six of those contests
•    Davidson has reached base safely in six of her seven games this spring after drawing the second-inning walk
•    With her hit by pitch, the 10th of her career, Branstetter has reached base safely in six of South's seven this season
•    The 15 runs scored by Arizona are the second most by an opponent, just two shy of the 20 recorded by Arizona State (2/27/09)
•    The 16 hits allowed are the most by an opponent since Louisiana (3/16/24) had 18 
•    The 15-run margin of defeat is tied for the largest in program history: at Arizona State (5-20) 
•    The four home runs allowed tied for second-most in a game, and were the most since Louisiana (4/8/23) 
•    Stoddard becomes the first opposing player to record multiple two-home run games
•    The last time South Alabama was no-hit came on Feb. 23, 2020 versus Stephen F. Austin, snapping a program record stretch with 218-straight games with a hit  

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue play at the Bear Down Fiesta on Friday when it takes on Ohio at 1:30 p.m. (CT) on day two of tournament action.

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.