MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama snapped a three-game skid and picked up a pair of victories Friday on day one of the Mardi Gras Classic held at Jaguar Field. The Jaguars earned a 12-1 run-rule victory over Lipscomb in the opener and then rallied back and held on for a 5-4 win in the nightcap over Notre Dame.

Amity White was a combined 3-for-6 at the plate with a pair of runs scored and three RBI to go along with a walk. Gabby Stagner also drew four walks in her seven plate appearances. 

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the two wins: "I am really proud of our effort today. Both games were great team wins. We needed to bounce back after Wednesday's loss and we did that in a big way the first game. In the second game, we dug in and made adjustments to their starter and found a way to get the runs when we needed. (Olivia) Cato and Ryley (Harrison) gave us two good starts and found ways to make pitches when we needed them."

Sophomore OF Amity White
- On the importance of the two victories: "We definitely needed those two wins, but it was more about how we played together and how we came along at the plate. We knew we had been struggling there, but we knew what we had to do, and we all went up there and did it and executed well."

- On her two clutch hits versus Notre Dame: "During my at-bat where I had the double, I wasn't going to let (Micaela Kastor) strike me out again and I was able to get the hit. I was confident going into my next at-bat and knew I was going to get the hit."

South Alabama 12, Lipscomb 1 (5 inn.)
South Alabama jumped out to a five-run lead in the opening frame and never looked back as the Jaguars scored multiple runs every inning, en route to a 12-1 victory in Friday's opener.

Sidney Lee was a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two runs driven in and a run scored. Olivia Branstetter reached all four of her plate appearances with a hit and a career-best three walks to go along with a pair of RBI. White and Presley Lively each scored twice and had a hit, while Ansleigh Smith also drove in two in the victory.

Olivia Cato (2-1) tossed four scoreless innings, allowing just four base runners and struck out four to pick up the victory in the circle. 

How It Happened 
•    Brenna Sherman was hit by pitch with two outs in the first, and Josey Polk then reached on a Jaguar error, but Cato was able to get Ella Polk looking – her second strikeout of the inning – to end the scoring threat by the Bisons.
•    South Alabama took control of the game the next half inning with a five-run outburst. White led off the Jaguar first with a double to left center and then was moved to third on Lively's sacrifice bunt. Stagner put runners at the corner one batter later with a walk, and after a meeting in the circle, Branstetter shot one back up the middle to plate White (USA, 1-0). Stephanie Gonzalez loaded the bases with a walk, and Smith greeted LU reliever Courtney Sauer with a walk of her own to bring in the second run of the inning. One batter later, South took a 3-0 lead on a RBI groundout by Caitlyn Gavin. The Jaguars kept the scoring going as Lee lined a two-run single to right (USA, 5-0).
•    The Jaguars loaded the bases – White (walk), Lively (bunt single) and Stagner (walk) – to start the bottom of the second, and Branstetter brought in her second run of the contest with the Jags' second bases-loaded walk one batter later (USA, 6-0).  Two batters later, Smith plated another run with a RBI fielder's choice, to score Lively from third (USA, 7-0).
•    Lee started the Jaguar third with a double to right center – her second hit in as may at-bats – and Gracie Jo Ward followed with a walk. With runners at second and third and one away in the inning, pinch hitter Gracie Tentinger dropped in a RBI single to score pinch runner Katie Schuler, and Stagner then plated Ward with a RBI groundout – the 120th RBI of her career – to make it 9-0. Stephanie Gonzalez lined a RBI single to center to extend the Jaguar advantage to 10-0.
•    The offense continued to fire in the bottom of the fourth 
•    Pinch hitter walked to begin the frame and Lee registered her third-straight hit with a double off the base of the wall in left center to put runners at second and third. Pinch hitter Morgan Hall then recorded her first collegiate hit and drove in her first runs to extend the Jag advantage to 12-0. 
•    Lipscomb was able to break up the shutout in the top of the fifth as the Bisons loaded the bases with two outs, and Presley Rader drew a walk (USA, 12-1).

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the 10th in the all-time series, and the Jags now hold a 9-1 series record in those meetings 
•    South has won six of the seven series meetings in Mobile
•    The meeting was the first in the series since the 2021 season 
•    South Alabama holds an all-time record of 28-4 against current Atlantic Sun Conference members
•    The 10 meetings versus Lipscomb are the most versus any current ASUN member
•    The 12 runs scored by the Jags are the most in the series, eclipsing the previous high of nine scored during the 2012 series meeting in Baton Rouge, La.
•    The five-run first marked the 18th time in program history that South Alabama has put up five or more runs in the opening frame
•    Jaguar pinch hitters 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBI, the group had been 0-for-7 through the first 11 games 
•    South Alabama pitching held Lipscomb to 0-for-10 with runners on and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position
•    White has reached base safely in 10 of her 12 games this spring, and had a hit in each of her last five – a career-best hit streak
•    With her first-inning walk, Gabby Stagner has reached base in nine of her 12 games
•    Branstetter had a hit, walked and scored a run in three of her last four 
•    The three walks by Branstetter tied a single-game mark held by many and marked the first time a Jag has done so since Gabby Stagner, vs. Bowling Green (3/4/23)
•    Smith has recorded a hit or drawn a walk in seven of her nine games this spring
•    The multi-hit and multi-RBI games were the third of Lee's Jaguar career 
•    The three-hit game for Lee was a career-best for the Jaguar catcher
•    Ward has scored a run in six of her 10 games

South Alabama 5, Notre Dame 4
South Alabama pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth and held on for a 5-4 victory over Notre Dame to complete the Friday sweep.

White was 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in a career-high three runs, while Lively reached twice with a hit and a walk and drove in a run, and Stephanie Gonzalez homered.

How It Happened 
•    Sydny Poeck reached on an infield single to start the top of the second, and two batters later, Jane Kronenberger lined a single through the left side of the infield to put a pair on with one away. With two outs, Olivia Levitt lined a RBI-single to left, scoring Poeck and giving the Irish the early 1-0 advantage. That was all Notre Dame would get though as Ryley Harrison struck out Mickey Winchell looking to end the inning.
•    Smith walked with one away in the bottom of the fifth, and the freshman right fielder then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Davidson followed with her second walk of the night to put a pair on for the Jags. The duo was then moved up a base on a sac bunt by Gavin, setting the table for White. White battled back to even the count and then lined a two-out, two-run double to center – the first hit of the night for the Jags (USA, 2-1). South had a chance to do more damage, loading the bases after an infield single by Lively and an intentional walk to Stagner, but Micaela Kastor was able to get a ground out to end the inning.
•    Notre Dame took advantage of the missed opportunity the next half inning. Pinch hitter Christina Willemssen walked and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Emily Tran re-entered at second and came around to score one batter later on when Addison Amaral reached on a throwing error (2-2). The Fighting Irish retook the lead on the next batter as pinch hitter Paige Cowley singled back up the middle (ND, 3-2).
•    The momentum didn't last long with the visitors as Stephanie Gonzalez blasted a 3-1 pitch off Kaster over the wall in left to tie the game back up at 3-3. South later loaded the bases with one away after three hit batters, and it was White who again delivered with a RBI-single to left (USA, 4-3). South extended its lead one batter later as Lively drew a bases-loaded walk to score Davidson (USA, 5-3).
•    Notre Dame pulled within a run in the top of the seventh on Tran's RBI double, but Harrison was able to get a ground out to short to seal the 5-4 win

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the third in the all-time series between the two programs, as South now leads 2-1
•    South Alabama has hosted five in-season tournaments and in those events, the Jaguars hold a combined record of 68-32 
•    Stagner has now reached base safely in 10 of her 13 games this spring with her first-inning walk
•    Davidson has reached base safely in 10 of her 12 games with her walk
•    With her double, White has reached base safely in 11 of her 13 games this spring, and had a hit in each of her last six
•    The home run for Gonzalez was the fifth of her career and her first since April 19, 2024 at Georgia State
•    The home run was also the first for South Alabama since game one of a doubleheader at Arizona (2/13), snapping a streak of six-straight without one
•    The multi-hit game was the fifth of White's career and the multi-RBI game was her third

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue play at the Mardi Gras Classic on Saturday with a pair of games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4:30 p.m.) and Notre Dame (7 p.m.).

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