MOBILE, Ala. | Gabby Stagner set a pair of program marks Friday night, becoming the career leader in home runs and multi-RBI games, as South Alabama opened the Sun Belt Conference series with a 5-3 win over Marshall at Jaguar Field.

With the win, South Alabama (16-23, 5-7 SBC) snaps a five-game skid. Stagner led the club with three RBI and reached base all three of her plate appearances, while Presley Lively and Frankie Andujo each had a pair of hits, scoring three of the Jags' five runs.

Tori Miller (6-7) picked up the win in relief, tossing three-and-two-third of three-hit, scoreless ball.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On getting the win: "It was a great way for us to start the series. We competed and played with a lot of energy. This was a win we needed to set the tone for the series. Marshall is a very good team, and we know we are going to have to play like this every time we play them. These are really important games for us. This can give us something to build off of. We're going to need to come back out here tomorrow and pick up where we left off."

- On Gabby Stagner setting the career home run record: "It was great to see her do it. Gabby's a team player and she's been doing what she needs to, but it's fun to see her get that moment, especially on her home field. I'm glad it happened here at home. It was unfortunate that she got popped in the head; that's not something that you want to see, but again it was great to see her get it done here and be able to celebrate with her fans."

Freshman SS Frankie Andujo
- On how big it was to win the opener: "Winning this game was huge. We've been struggling a little bit (lately). Even when we've been up in games, we've let them get passed us. This win was a huge step forward for us."

- On scoring the insurance run in the sixth: "Back in my younger days, I used to be faster, so I was familiar with all the types of plays to get around a tag at home. I saw the catcher's glove was frozen, and I wasn't going to slide into an out. I just kind of swam my way around the tag."

How It Happened 
•    Marshall struck first with a pair of runs in the opening frame. Diamond Leslie reached on a one-out, bunt single and then moved into scoring position with two outs in the inning with her 10th stolen base of the season. After falling behind in the count, Abby Darnley worked the count full before drawing a walk to put a pair on. Brooklyn Ulrich then lined a double off the base of the wall in straight-away center to give the Herd the early lead (MARSH, 2-0).
•    Andujo lined a single through the right side of the infield – South's first hit of the game – to lead off the bottom of the third, and Amity White then lined a single off Paige Simpson's glove at third to put a pair on. One batter later, the Jaguars got on the board when Andujo scored all the way from second on a Marshall fielding error. Stagner then blasted a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left, giving South the 4-2 lead and her 10th home run of the season. The home run also gave the Jaguar senior the new career home run mark at South Alabama.
•    Haleigh Adkins walked to begin the MU fourth, who was then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Kasia Parks cut the deficit in half with a RBI-double to left center, scoring Adkins from second (USA, 4-3). Parks later moved up a base after another sac bunt by the Herd, but Miller was able to get Rielly Lucas to fly out to center to strand the runner.
•    The Herd threatened to tie the game up its next time up at-bat. Leslie led off the top of the fifth with her second hit of the night – a single to left, but she wouldn't advance any further as Miller retired the next three batters for Marshall.
•    MU had another scoring opportunity one inning later as Bub Feringa walked with one out in the sixth and Parks singled to right to put a pair on for Marshall. Miller again was able to work out of the jam with a fly out to center and was then helped out by her defense as Caitlyn Gavin made a diving grab on a liner back up the middle to end the inning and strand the two runners.
•     South Alabama added an important insurance run in its half of the sixth. Andujo reached on a one-out, infield single – her second hit of the night – and she was then moved into scoring position after a ground out to second. The freshman shortstop then came in to score on Lively's single back up the middle (USA, 5-3). Andujo was initially called out on the play, but upon video review, she was able to avoid the tag before touching home plate.
•    Marshall brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in its half of the seventh as Abby Darnley lined a two-out double off the base of the wall in left, but Miller was able to end the game with a fly out to preserve the two-run victory.

Postgame Notes
•    The game marked the third sell out at Jaguar Field this season
•    The meeting marked just the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs and the first on either team's home field
•    The Jaguars have now won three of the four series meetings
•    The multi-hit game was the third of Andujo's career, while it was the ninth of the season for Lively
•    White has had at least one hit in six of her last nine
•    With her first-inning walk, Stagner has reached base in 25 of her last 30, and all but five of her 39 games this season
•    Stagner has had a hit in eight of her last 12, and 20 of her last 26 games  
•    The three-run home run marked the 150th hit of her Jaguar career, and with the blast moved passed Kamdyn Kvistad (36, 2018-22) to become the program's new all-time home run leader
•    With her three RBI, Stagner (38) also became the career multi-RBI game leader, passing Victoria Ortiz's (37, 2019-23) previous mark in the category
•    Lively has scored at least one run in five of her last seven, and 10 of her last 15 games, compiling a total of 12 runs over that 15-game stretch
•    Lively has also scored a run in 25 games, has had a hit or a walk in 22 of her last 27 outings, and reached base safely in 31 of her 39 games this spring

Up Next
•    South Alabama will take on Marshall in game two of the series on Saturday with first pitch set for 3 p.m.

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