NEW ORLEANS | After helping lead South Alabama to a series win over first place ULM over the weekend,
Ryley Harrison was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday as announced by the league office.
The honor marked the 40th time in which the program has had a player earn the award, and the 65th time that a Jaguar has earned either a player or pitcher of the weekly honor.
It's also the second time South has had a player honored with the weekly award this spring, joining
Gabby Stagner who was selected as the league's player of the week on March 18.
Harrison returned to the circle this weekend and provided an immediate spark as she picked up both wins over the Warhawks. For the week, Harrison was 2-0 in the circle with a 0.70 ERA, as she scattered eight hits, allowing just one run, while striking out 12 in her 10.0 innings of work.
In her lone start against, Harrison held the Warhawks' high-powered offense in check as South Alabama evened the series with a 5-1 victory Saturday afternoon. A night after Jaguar pitching had allowed nine runs and 12 hits, Harrison 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 scoreless for the first six-and-two-thirds. ULM got the lead off 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 as she picked up her eighth win of the season.
ULM threatened in the top of the first as the first two batters of the game walked on eight-straight pitches out of the zone, but Harrison quickly settled down and struck out the next three Warhawk batters to strand the runners.
In the second inning with runners at second and third, again Harrison held ULM off the scoreboard as she ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. One inning later, the Warhawks loaded the bases with one out, but for the third time, Harrison held ULM off the board as she recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
On Sunday with the Jags trailing by a run, Harrison entered the game in the top of the fifth and with ULM looking at doubling its lead with a runner at third, the sophomore struck out Morgan Brown to strand the runner. South Alabama retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning and staked with the lead, Harrison retired the final six batters of the game to pick up the win in relief.
In conference play, Harrison now holds a 1.74 ERA and has struck out 51 batters in her 52.1 innings of work.
South Alabama will close out the regular season with a three-game series at Troy. Game one of the series is set to begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
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