MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama tried to rally back in the opener Friday but fell, 3-2 in eight innings, but bounced back in the night cap with a come-from-behind victory over Western Michigan, 5-4 on day one of the Mardi Gras Classic presented by Marriott Mobile at Jaguar Field.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the two games: "I thought today was a tale of two teams. We never really got it going in the first game and missed a lot of opportunities. We started out behind in the second game, but found a way to get back in it. We've got to pick up tomorrow where we left off tonight."

Sophomore OF Presley Lively
- On bouncing back with the win in game two: "It was really big for us. We were talking in the dugout between games about bouncing back. We knew we had to compete and put at-bats together, and that's what we were able to do in game two. Even though today wasn't our day hitting wise, we still were able to do enough to win."

- On her defensive play at the plate in the seventh inning: "We work on (throwing runners out at the plate) so much in practice that I felt like I was just back at practice. Credit to Coach (Becky) Clark and (Assistant Coach) Kelly (Horne) for preparing us for those situations. It was a big play, but it felt easy and normal because we work at it so much."

GAME ONE – UAB 3, South Alabama 2 (8 inn.)
Key Moments
•    South Alabama (4-2) had a chance to get on the board in the bottom of the second as Lillie Stagner led off the inning with a double to left, pinch runner Gracie McDonald moved to third on a ground out, but two batters later UAB (4-3) pitcher Caitlin Russell (1-0) was able to get our of the inning after right fielder made a leaping grab
•    Hannah Myles and Hope Tucker led off the top of the fifth with back-to-back high-chopper singles passed third – the first two hits of the game for UAB – and Rylie Harrison looked as if she were going to get out of the inning with a ground ball to short after a pair of outs, but a Jag error allowed Myles to come around and score (UAB, 1-0) an unearned run
•    Presley Lively lined a single back up the middle to lead off the bottom of the seventh and put the tying run aboard
•    Lively – who led off the seventh with a single back up the middle – was initially called out at third one batter later, but after a conference, the umpires ruled her safe, and South Alabama capitalized as the sophomore beat the throw home to tie the game up (1-1) after a RBI-groundout to first by Stagner
•    Abbie Perkins walked with one out, and pinch runner Ansley Eason came around to score one batter later on Ashlyn Shirah's double to right (UAB, 2-1)
•    The Blazers tacked on another run (UAB, 3-1) on Madeline Flammia's sacrifice fly to right center
•    South Alabama cut the deficit to one run in the bottom half of the eighth on Gracie Dee's two-out triple down the line in right to score pinch runner Caitlyn Gavin (UAB, 3-2), but that was all the Jags would get as Russell recorded a ground to end the game

Key Stats
•    Stagner and Kayden Dunn each had a double for the Jags in the loss with Stagner driving in a run
•    Dees also had a triple and a RBI for South Alabama
•    Perkins reached twice for the Blazers with a hit and a walk, while Shirah had a double, a RBI and scored once
•    Russell allowed just five hits in her eight innings of work for UAB, inducing 18 ground-ball outs
•    UAB shortstop Hannah Dorsett was responsible for a majority of those outs, as she was credited with 11 assists
•    Harrison also allowed just five hits and struck out six in her eight innings in the circle

Postgame Notes
•    With her second-inning double, Stagner has now had a hit five of her six games, and recorded four extra-base hits in those contests
•    Dees extended her hit streak to four games
•    Stagner has had a hit and reached base safely in five of her six games
•    Stagner has recorded an extra-base hit and at least one RBI in four of her last six

GAME TWO – South Alabama 5, Western Michigan 4
Key Moments
•    South Alabama (5-2) had a scoring opportunity in its half of the first as Lively lined a leadoff triple – her second of the season – to the gap in left center and Dees walked to put runners at the corners, but Bronco (5-1) starter Ava Geyer retired the next three Jag batters to get out of the jam
•    Jayden Merrill put Western Michigan on top (WMU, 2-0) the next half inning as she drove a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left with two outs 
•    Lively reached on an error with one out and moved to second on the play, and then came home one pitch later on Dee's RBI double to shallow right center (WMU, 2-1)
•    Merrill delivered her second two-out, two-run home run in the Broncos' half of the fourth extending the visitor's lead to 4-1
•    With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Edy Gavin lined a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right to cut the deficit in half (WMU, 4-2)
•    Lively followed with her second extra-base hit of the night, this one a double off the wall in left center, and after Dees walked on four-straight out of the zone to put a pair on, Stagner went the opposite way and dropped in a single in right to score Lively (WMU, 4-3)
•    Kara Wine then lifted a ball to deep right center, scoring Dees from third and tying up the game
•    Sydney Stewart reached on a one-out walk in the Jaguar sixth, and Ansleigh Smith singled off the second baseman's glove to put runners at the corners
•    E. Gavin followed with her second-straight extra-base hit with a double to right, scoring Stewart (USA, 5-4) and putting a pair of runners in scoring position
•    WMU threatened to tie the game back up in the top of the seventh as Tristen Head walked to begin the frame, and Merrill reached for the third time with an infield single off the end of the bat, but after a pop out on a sac bunt attempt, Lively threw Head out at home trying to score
•    With the bases loaded and two out later in the inning after Emily Lampela was hit by a pitch, Tori Miller (2-0) was able to get a fly put to left to seal the win

Key Stats
•    Lively and E. Gavin were each 2-for-3 at the plate
•    Both had a pair of extra-base hits, as Lively had a double and a triple, and E. Gavin doubled and homered 
•    Lively scored twice and walked once, while E. Gavin scored and drove in a pair
•    Dees also had a double, scored a run, drove in a run and walked twice
•    Head reached all three of her plate appearances as she had three hits, including the two home runs, and drove in all four for Western Michigan

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the first in the all-time series between the two programs
•    With her first-inning triple, Lively (7) moved into a tie with former Jags Britany Campbell (2010-13) and Meredith Keel (2021-23) for fifth, ??and 1 shy of matching Blair Johnson (8, 2012-15) for fourth in the all-time category
•    Merrill's two-home run performance marked the first by an opposing player since Marshall's Diamond Leslie (4/13/25)
•    Dees has had a hit in five-straight games, driven in a run in each of her last four, and draw a walk in three of those contests
•    Lively has had a hit in six of her seven games and reached base safely in all every game this spring
•    Lively has walked in five of her last six games
•    Lively has scored a run in three of her four games in the leadoff spot
•    The multi-hit game was the 13th of Lively's career
•    Wine has had a hit in five of her seven outings
•    Kayden Dunn has had a hit in four of her six games

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue play at the Mardi Gras Classic presented by Marriott Mobile on Saturday when the Jags take on Jacksonville State (3 p.m.) and Western Michigan (5:30 p.m.).

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