MOBILE, Ala. | Marshall scored five runs over the final three innings and held off a late rally attempt by South Alabama as the Herd evened the series with a 7-5 victory Saturday afternoon at Jaguar Field.

South Alabama (16-24, 5-8 SBC) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but was unable to push anything across. For the game, South was 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 runners on base. Conversely, Marshall (23-18, 9-5 SBC) was 5-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Olivia Branstetter tied a career high with three hits as she scored a run and drove in a run as well. Amity White was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate before leaving the game, and Stephanie Gonzalez had three RBI – her eighth career multi-RBI game.

Diamond Leslie was 2-for-4 for the Herd with a walk, two runs scored and four RBI, including the go-ahead three-run home run.

How It Happened 
•    After retiring the Herd in order in the top half of the inning, South Alabama scored a pair of runs in the bottom half to take the early lead. White lined a single to left to lead off the inning, and then moved into scoring position as she stole second. Presley Lively drew a walk and Branstetter was hit by a pitch one batter later to load the bases. Gonzalez then drew the second free pass of the inning as she walked after working the count full (USA, 1-0), scoring White. The Jaguars added another two batters later on Gracie Tentinger's RBI-groundout to short (USA, 2-0).
•    South looked as if it might expand its lead its next time up, but two runners were thrown out at the plate in the inning attempting to score.
•    The visitors took advantage of the missed scoring opportunity, plating two runs on three hits their next time up. Kasia Parks lined a one-out single back up the middle – Marshall's first hit of the game – in the top of the third. After moving into scoring position on a ground out to third, Parks came in to score on Rielly Lucas' double to right (USA, 2-1). The Herd then tied the game up (2-2) one batter on Leslie's RBI-double to left.
•    South Alabama loaded the bases with two away in its half of the third after Frankie Andujo was hit by a pitch, but Bub Feringa was able to work out of the jam and strand the runners with a ground out to second.
•    Abby Darnley walked to begin the Marshall fourth and with two outs in the inning, Feringa singled through the right side of the infield to put a pair on. Parks looked as if she might put the Herd on top with a single to center, but Darnley was thrown out at the plate by Lively to end the inning and keep the game tied.
•    Gracie Jo Ward led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to the left-center gap – the freshman's first career hit. With one out, Lively walked for the second time and Branstetter then bounced a single back up the middle, scoring Ward from second to put the Jags back out in front (USA, 3-2). With runners at second and third, Gonzalez went the other way and lined a single to right, scoring Lively and Branstetter (USA, 5-2). 
•    Paige Simpson reached on a bunt single to begin the fifth for Marshall, and Lucas walked. After a pitching change, Leslie then tied the game back up at 5-5 with a three-run home run to center, her fourth of the season.
•    In the bottom of the sixth, Branstetter lined a one-out, single to center – her third hit of the afternoon – who then moved to second one batter later on a ground out, but Paige Maynard (9-4) was helped out by her defense with a nice catch in left by Leslie who made a leaping grab to rob South of extra bases and end the inning.
•    The next half inning, Leslie walked with one out, and Haskins lined a single through the left side of the infield. Darnley then gave the Herd their first lead of the game with a two-run double to left center (MARSH, 7-5).
•    Megan Davidson bounced a single back up the middle to start the bottom of the seventh for the Jaguars. Two batters later, Gavin reached on a fielder's choice when Davidson was safe at second after a dropped ball by Brooklynn Urlich. With two outs, the two runners both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Brooklynn Bockhaus then battled back to earn a walk and load the bases, but Maynard induced a ground out to end the game.

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked just the second in the series on either team's home field
•    The 11 hits by South marked the first double-digit performance in the category since registering 10 hits against James Madison (3/14)
•    The seven runs by Marshal marked the most scored by either team in the series
•    With her strikeout to end the top of the first, Ryley Harrison reached 100 strikeouts for her career
•    Harrison used just six pitches to retire Marshall in the second inning
•    With her leadoff single in the bottom of the first, White has had at least one hit in seven of her last 10 games
•    The multi-hit game was the seventh of the season and ninth of her career for White
•    Lively has had a hit or a walk in 23 of her last 28 outings, and reached base safely in 32 of her 40 games this spring 
•    Lively has reached base in her first plate appearance 17 times this spring
•    Lively has scored at least one run in six of her last eight, and 11 of her last 16 games, compiling a total of 13 runs over that 15-game stretch
•    Lively has also scored a run in 26 games of South's 40 games this spring, including 10 multiple-run games
•    Gonzalez has also reached base safely in 10 of her last 14 games and had a hit eight of her last 13 games
•    Gavin has had a hit in seven of her last 10, including four of her last five, and reached base safely in nine of her last 11 games
•    The three-hit performance by Branstetter marked the 15th multi-hit game of her career, and the sixth of the spring for the sophomore
•    Branstetter has had a hit in nine of her last 13, and reached base 15 of her last 17 games
•    The home run by Marshall was the first allowed by Jaguar pitching since March 22 (at Georgia State), snapping a streak of eight-straight games without one

Up Next
•    South Alabama will take on Marshall in the series finale on Sunday with first pitch set for 12 p.m.

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