MOBILE, Ala. | Senior first baseman Gabby Stagner led the charge as she recorded three of South Alabama's five home runs on the day as the Jaguar bounced back to pick up a Saturday sweep on day two of the South Alabama Invitational presented by Marriott Mobile at Jaguar Field. South (4-1) opened the day with an 11-6 win over Northwestern State and then avenged its lone loss of the season with an 11-3, run-rule victory over UIC in the night cap.

Presley Lively also combined for three hits, three runs scored and three RBI in the two victories, while Stagner also drove in five on the day. Olivia Branstetter reached in five of her seven plate appearances with three hits, a home run and a pair of walks. Caitlyn Gavin also had three hits and drove in five, while Megan Davidson also scored four runs.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the team bouncing back: "I'm proud of us for bouncing back today. I thought both wins were great team wins and I was happy with the way we competed. I feel like the we finished today sets us up going into the Arizona tournament next week."

Senior first baseman Gabby Stagner
- On the team bouncing back from the loss to UIC last night: "Yesterday was a tough loss for us, so we just came out here and made it our goal to just have fun, and play to our best ability. It was huge for us to come back and win both games, especially to have the run-rule win against the team we lost to."

- On seeing the ball well at the plate: "Today, I was seeing the ball really well. I was a little caught off guard in my second at-bat, but after that I got back in there and was ready to go. I got back in the box with confidence and I was ready to hit whatever pitch was thrown to me. I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to let them beat me today."

South Alabama 11, Northwestern State 6
The Jaguars battled back from an early deficit twice and used the long ball to pick up an 11-6 victory over Northwestern State in game one of the day. Stagner, Gavin and Branstetter all homered and drove in multiple runs in the win. 

Branstetter was 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI, while Gavin also scored, walked and drove in three. Stagner reached twice and scored a run. Lively also recorded a multi-hit outing as she was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk and an RBI.

Tori Miller (1-0) picked up the win in relief, while Ryley Harrison tossed an inning and a third of scoreless relief to earn her second save of the spring.

How It Happened 
•    Northwestern State loaded the bases after a pair of walks and a Jaguar error, and then scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Savannah Coleman, scoring Sophia Livers who walked to leadoff the game. DJ Lynch then made it 2-0 in favor of the visitors with a RBI single.
•    In the bottom half of the inning, Presley Lively lined a single to center to begin the frame, and with one out, Stagner unloaded on a 1-1 offering from Brooklynn Stohler (0-2) to tie the game back up (2-2)
•    Northwestern State reclaimed the lead two innings later as Lynch drove a ball over the wall in left for a two-run home run (NSU, 4-2)
•    South Alabama got a run back in the bottom half of the third. Lively tripled to the gap in left center with one out, and Amity White and Stagner then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, setting the table for Olivia Branstetter. The sophomore third baseman then lined a shot back up the middle that Stohler was unable to handle, scoring a run (NSU, 4-3). 
•    The Jags put the first two runners on their next time up after a pair of Demon errors, and Gavin made them pay as she drove an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left (USA, 6-3)
•    Davidson led off the Jaguar fifth with another extra-base hit for South as she tripled off the wall in left center, just missing a home run. One batter later, Branstetter didn't miss as she lifted a ball to left that cleared the wall and increased South's lead to 8-4. The Jags loaded the bases and then plated another run on White's bases-loaded walk (USA, 9-4).
•    The Lady Demons got a pair of runs back the next half inning. Pinch-hitter Peyton Peck narrowed the deficit to three runs (9-6) with a two-run home run to left. Northwestern State later brought the tying run to the plate in Lynch with two outs after a single and a walk, but Jag reliver Ryley Harrison fielded a bouncer back to the circle to end the threat.
•    Davidson was hit by the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth and Bransetter then walked to put a pair aboard for South. The two Jag base runners then moved up a base on a wild pitch, and three batters later with two outs in the inning Frankie Andujo drew a walk to load the bases. Kaymie Chandler was unable to cleanly field Gavin's little dribbler back to the circle, allowing Davidson to score (unearned) and the inning to continue and extend the Jag lead to (10-6). White then drew her third walk of the contest to score Branstetter (USA, 11-6). 

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the sixth in the all-time series, and with the win the Jaguars improve to 5-1 in the series
•    Stagner's two-run home run in the first marked the 29th of her career, moving her into sole possession of third place all-time
•    It was also the 65th extra-base hit of her career (33-3-29) moving her into a tie for fifth place in the category with Kaitlyn Griffith (65 -- 33-4-28, 2012-15)
•    Stagner (111) tied Kaitlyn Griffith (111, 2012-15) for seventh in career RBI at South
•    The multi-RBI game was Stagner's 28th, tying her with Megan Collins (2010-13) for seventh
•    Stagner also extended her reached-base-safely streak to 22-straight, which is now the seventh-longest streak in program history
•    With her third-inning walk, White has reached base safely in eight of her last 10 dating back to last season
•    The three-home game by South marked the first since doing so versus Nicholls State on April 6, 2021

South Alabama vs. UIC
Stagner homered twice and drove in three runs as South Alabama avenged its loss to UIC with an 11-3, five-inning run-rule victory Saturday. Stagner was 2-for-3 at the plate, while Lively, Ansleigh Smith and Gavin each drove in two runs apiece with the latter also recording a pair of hits.

Harrison (1-0) tossed all five innings striking out five and allowing just two hits.

How It Happened 
•    The Flames tried to take advantage of a Jaguar throwing error as Nina Pesare reached to begin the game and raced all the way around the bases, but was thrown out at the plate on a perfectly executed 9-3-2 play 
•    In the bottom half of the opening frame, Lively was hit by a pitch, who then quickly moved into scoring position with her fourth stolen base of the season, and one batter later, the Jags got on the board after Lively was able to score after a Flame throwing error at third (USA, 1-0). Stagner then homered for the second-straight game and the third time this spring when she blasted a 3-2 pitch over the wall in center (USA, 2-0).
•    Sidney Lee then led off the second with a double to center, and pinch runner Gracie Jo Ward then came around to score on Smith's RBI single to left (USA, 3-0). After Smith moved to third, Andujo drew a walk two batters later to put runners at the corners. Lively then drove a ball to the warning track in center that was deep enough to plate Smith and extend the Jaguar lead to 4-0. 
•    In the bottom of the third, Branstetter recorded her second hit of the game with a solid-single back up the middle. Davidson then doubled off the wall in left center to put runners at second and third. Ward then lifted a ball to right to bring in pinch runner Brea Holley (USA, 5-0). One batter later, Davidson beat the throw home on a fielder's choice to short (USA, 6-0).
•    UIC loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth after three walks, and with the count full, pinch hitter Atina'eleila Fonoti doubled to left to bring in a pair of runs (USA, 6-2). The Flames third run of the inning later came on a RBI ground out that scored pinch runner Brianna Motto (USA, 6-3)
•    South Alabama wasted little time regaining momentum as Stagner blasted her second home run of the game and her third of the day. Branstetter and Ward followed with back-to-back walks, and Gavin doubled to left center to plate both Jag runners and make it 10-3. Andujo then recorded her first collegiate hit with an infield single to put runners at the corners. Lively then brought in Gavin and put runners at second and third with a two-out double. 
•    Harrison struck out two of the final three batters of the game to seal the win
•    While she allowed five walks and the two hits, UIC was just 1-for-10 with runners on base

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the second in the series between the two clubs
•    The solo home run by Stagner extended her reached-base safely streak to 23-straight games, which ties her for fifth-longest streak with former Jags Brittany Fowler (2011) and Kaleigh Todd (2018)
•    The first-inning home run was the 30th of Stagner's career and marked the third time in the last four games in which she has homered
•    Stagner (114) then tied Amanda Minahan (2014-17) for sixth in RBI with her two-run home run in the fourth inning
•    The multi-RBI game was the third of the season for Stagner and the 29th of her Jaguar career
•    The 29 multi-RBI games move her into the Top 20 at South in the career category, tying Katie McGuire (29, 2007-09) ad Brittani Reid (29, 2018-19) for 19th on the career list
•    The last player to homer twice in a game was also Stagner, who did so during her freshman season versus Louisiana (4/14/22)
•    She is one of 12 players to have homered twice in a game in program history and it has now been done 21 times
•    Over their last four games, the Jaguars have recorded all seven of their home runs
•    The last time South Alabama homered in four-straight games was April, 30 – May, 6, 2023
•    Bransetter now has seven multi-hit games in her Jaguar career
•    White has reached base safely in nine of her last 11 dating back to last season
•    Rylie Harrison went 1-0 on the weekend with three saves, and struck out 14 batters in her 16.1 inning of work, while holding opponents to a .143 batting average

Up Next
•    South Alabama will next head out west to compete at the Bear Down Fiesta in Tucson, Ariz. (Feb. 13-15), The Jaguars will open up with tournament host Arizona on Thursday at 6 p.m. (CT).

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