MOBILE, Ala. | Ryley Harrison returned to the circle and held ULM's high-powered offense in check as South Alabama evened the series with a 5-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Jaguar Field.

A night after Jaguar pitching had allowed nine runs and 12 hits, Harrison (8-6) tossed a complete game and nearly recorded the shutout as she scattered six hits, walked four and hit two batters. The sophomore struck out nine batters and held the Warhawks (34-17, 14-6 SBC) scoreless for the first six-and-two-thirds. ULM got the leadoff batter on base each of the first three innings and four of the seven, but Harrison held the high-power Warhawk offense at bay leaving 10 runners on base. 

South Alabama (18-29, 7-12 SBC) had three players finish with two hits as Presley Lively and Stephanie Gonzalez were both 2-for-3 at the plate, while Gabby Stagner reached all three of her plate appearances going 2-for-2 with a walk. Both Gonzalez and Stagner homered, while the latter scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, and the former scored twice and drove in a run. Amity White also posted her third multi-RBI game of the season driving in two.

How It Happened 
•    Brooklin Lippert and Meagan Brown both walked to lead off the game after eight-straight pitches were out of the zone, but Harrison quickly settled down and struck out the next three Warhawk batters to strand the runners.
•    Stagner walked and Gonzalez lined a single to right to put a pair on for the Jags in the bottom half of the inning, and the two Jaguars then came into score on White's triple to center (USA, 2-0). 
•    Layla Thompson worked the count full before drawing a leadoff walk and Elle Carter reached on a bunt single to put a pair on for ULM. The two Warhawk runners were then both moved into scoring position on a sac bunt, but again Harrison held ULM off the scoreboard as she ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
•    Lively reached on an infield single and Olivia Branstetter lined a single through the left side of the infield to put a pair on for South. Gonzalez extended the Jaguar lead to 4-0 when she unloaded on the first pitch of the inning in the bottom of the third, sending the ball high over the wall in center. The home run was her sixth of the season – third to leadoff an inning – and 10th of her career.
•    Thompson reached for the second time in as many plate appearances with a one-out walk in the ULM fourth and Cater then laid down another bunt and Jaelyn Buck was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Warhawks. For the third time though, Harrison held ULM off the board as she recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. 
•    Stagner tacked on an insurance run with a one-out solo shot to center in the bottom of the fifth (USA, 5-0).
•    Carys Platt beat out an infield single to start the seventh for the Warhawks and Lippert followed with an infield single of her own to put a pair on. With two outs, Hollie Thomas broke up the shutout with a RBI double that stayed just inside the third-base line (USA, 5-1), but Harrison ended the game one batter later with a fly out.

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the 58th in the all-time series and the 23rd in Mobile
•    The Jaguars improved to 48-10 in the all-time series and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings
•    The game was delayed for nearly three hours due to weather after a lightning strike in the bottom of the first
•    ULM got the leadoff batter on base each of the first three innings and four of the seven, while leaving 10 runners on base 
•    With her leadoff single to start the bottom of the first, Lively has reached base in her first plate appearance 20 times this spring
•    Lively has had a hit or a walk in nine of her last 11 and 29 of her last 35 outings, and reached base safely in 38 of her 47 games this spring
•    The two-hit performance marked the 10th multi-hit game of the spring for Lively
•    Lively has also scored a run in 29 games this spring
•    Stagner has also reached base in 30 of her last 35 and all but five of her 44 games this season
•    The first-inning walk marked the 69th of Stagner's career, moving her into a tie for 10th all-time at South with Amanda Minahan (2014-17) in the category
•    The multi-hit game marked the 10th of the season for Stagner and the 37th of her career, tying Kamdyn Kvistad (2018-22) for 11th-most at South Alabama
•    Stagner has driven in multiple runs 13 times this spring and a program-record 39 times for her career
•    Stagner has had a hit in 11 of her last 16, and 23 of her last 30 games  
•    Gonzalez has had a hit 11 of her last 20 games, and also reached base safely in 14 of her last 21 games
•    White has had at least one hit in 10 of her last 16 with her two-run triple
•    Branstetter has had a hit in eight of her last 10 – 14 of her last 19 – and reached base 22 of her last 24 games, including each of her last 10 

Up Next
•    South Alabama and ULM close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

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