MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama pulled within three on Sophia Mendoza's two-run, pinch-hit home run, but ULM responded with four runs in the sixth en route to a 9-4 series-opening win Friday night at Jaguar Field.

Brooklin Lippert reached all five of her plate appearances as she was 4-for-4 with a walk, scoring a pair of runs. Morgan Brown had three hits – two doubles – drove in two and scored three times for ULM (34-16, 14-5 SBC).

South Alabama fell to 17-29 overall and 6-12 in the league with the loss.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the loss: "We got out executed and out coached tonight. I've got to do a better job preparing and our players have to do a better job executing. We all have to have a sense of urgency about making adjustments going into tomorrow."

How It Happened 
•    ULM's Lippert led off the game with a triple to left and one batter later, the Warhawks took the early lead on Meagan Brown's sac fly (ULM, 1-0). Mo. Brown then lined a double off the wall in center and Hollie Thomas put runners at second and third with a bloop single and a stolen base. Maryssa Zenzen made it 2-0 in favor of the visitors one batter later with another sacrifice fly. 
•     Jacelyn Buck led off the second with a double – ULM's third extra-base hit of the game – and the third baseman was moved up a base one batter later on a sac bunt. Lippert followed with a bunt single to put runners at the corners and she then stole second. Mea. Brown then lifted a ball to left that was deep enough to score Buck from third (ULM, 3-0).
•    ULM added to its lead in the top of the fifth with a pair of two-out runs. Mo. Brown and Thomas recorded back-to-back singles, and Zenzen followed with the Warhawks' third-straight, two-out hit with a RBI single to left, scoring Mo. Brown. Thomas also came into score on the play on a Jaguar error (ULM, 5-0).
•    Caitlyn Gavin drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth – snapping a streak of 10-straight retired by Victoria Abrams. With two outs, pinch-hitter Mendoza unloaded on the first pitch she saw, a two-run blast high over the wall in left – her first career home run – to pull the Jags within three (5-2). 
•    ULM answered right back with four runs the next half inning. Buck walked with one away and two batters later, Lippert reached for the fourth time in as many plate appearances as she also drew a free pass. Mea. Brown then lined a single back up the middle to score a run and Mo. Brown doubled to left to plate two more runs, extending the Warhawk advantage to 8-2. After a pitching change, Thomas walked and Zenzen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. ULM added another run when Thompson drew a walk (ULM, 9-2).
•    Branstetter walked to begin the bottom half of the sixth and then with two away, Megan Davidson lined a RBI double to the gap in left center (ULM, 9-3). 
•    Brooklynn Bockhaus (bunt) and Presley Lively 
•    Stagner then plated a run with a RBI-single through the left side of the infield (ULM, 9-4)
•    Branstetter followed with an infield single to load the bases 

Postgame Notes
•    Prior to the game, senior Gracie Tentinger was honored as part of Senior Night festivities
•    The meeting marked the 57th in the all-time series and the 22nd in Mobile
•    The loss snaps South Alabama's 12-game win streak in the series and the first by the Warhawks since April 20, 2019 and their first win in Mobile since April 13, 2018 
•    It was just ULM's fifth all-time win at Jaguar Field in the series
•    There were eight two-out RBI in the game between the two clubs
•    Mendoza's pinch-hit home run in the fifth was the first pinch-hit homer by a Jag since Sidney Lee 
•    at Arkansas (3/9/24) and the first at home by a Jag since Abby Allen, vs. Troy (5/4/23)
•    The two-run home run by Mendoza snapped a streak of 27-and-two-thirds scoreless innings by South without a run
•    Stagner has reached base in 29 of her last 34 and all but five of her 43 games this season with her first-inning walk
•    Stagner has had a hit in 10 of her last 15 and 22 of her last 29 games  
•    Branstetter has had a hit in seven of her last nine and 13 of her last 18, and reached base 21 of her last 23 games, including each of her last nine 
•    The HBP marked the 11th time this spring that Branstetter has been hit by a pitch and the 20th time in her career, moving her one HBP shy of moving into a tie for fourth all-time at South in the category
•    Amity White has had at least one hit in nine of her last 15
•    Lively has had a hit or a walk in eight of her last 10 and 28 of her last 34 outings, and reached base safely in 37 of her 46 games this spring

Up Next
•    South Alabama and ULM will meet Saturday at 3 p.m. for game two of the series.

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