NEW ORLEANS | After leading South Alabama to an impressive opening performance over the weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic,
Ryley Harrison was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday as announced by the league office.
The honor marks the second of Harrison's career. It is also the 41st time in which the program has had a pitcher earn the award, and the 66th time that a Jaguar has earned either a player or pitcher of the weekly honor.
Harrison appeared in four of South Alabama's five games during the opening weekend of play and was pivotal in helping the Jaguars open up the season with a 4-1 record at the event in Clearwater, Fla.
For her play, Harrison was named to the all-tournament team after recording a 2-0 record, and posting 1.19 earned run average in her 17.2 innings of work, striking out 14 and holding opponents to a .191 batting average.
Harrison began her week by picking up a win in relief against Eastern Kentucky where she tossed two-and one-third innings of one-hit relief, striking out four. With the go-ahead run at second, Harrison entered in the bottom of the fifth and retired Lilly Davis with a strikeout to end the threat. In the sixth, EKU placed the tying run aboard, but Harrison struck out the final two batters, and then after the Colonels loaded the bases with two outs in their half of the seventh, Harrison retired Davis again on a foul out to third to end the game.
In game two of the day on Friday, the junior tossed a complete-game shutout victory over (RV) Southeastern Louisiana. The loss was the lone for the Lions at the tourney as they picked up a 4-2 win over fifth-ranked Oregon on Sunday. SELA scored 30 runs in its five other games at the NFCA tourney, but Harrison held the high-powered offense in check, scattering six base runners – four hits and two walks – while striking out four. Harrison also induced 10 ground-ball outs in the complete-game shutout – the fifth of her career and the 16th complete-game effort.
On Sunday, Harrison tossed eight innings, allowing just one earned run, three hits, and six strikeouts against Missouri. Harrison held Mizzou in check for most of the game, allowing South Alabama to eventually pick up a walk-off victory in the bottom of the 11th. Leading 1-0, the Tigers threatened to extend their lead in the top of the third with a pair on, but Harrison was able to snag a liner back up the middle to get out of the inning.
South Alabama will host the Mardi Gras Classic presented by Marriott Mobile this weekend, opening tournament play on Friday with a pair of games vs. UAB (3 pm) and vs. Western Michigan (5:30 pm).
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