CLEARWATER, Fla. | South Alabama opened up the 2026 season Friday afternoon with a pair of wins on day one of the 23rd Annual NFCA Leadoff Classic held at the Eddie C. Moore Complex, defeating Eastern Kentucky, 4-3 in the opener and then Southeastern Louisiana, 2-0 in game two of the day.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On her thoughts of opening day: "We had two great team wins today. EKU and SLU are both great programs and will most likely compete for their conference championships. Overall, we played great defense and had solid pitching. We got a small glimpse of our offense from a power standpoint. I think this is going to be a team that gets better as we go and will be a lot of fun to watch."

GAME ONE – SOUTH ALABAMA 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
Key Moments
•    After missing a pair of scoring opportunities earlier in the game, South Alabama (1-0) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a two-run home run to left center by Lille Stagner, scoring Olivia Branstetter who was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame – extending her reached base safely streak to 15 games dating back to last season
•    After being held hitless the first three innings, EKU (0-1) recorded three-straight hits, including a two-run home run by Kennedy Draften to right center to tie the game up (2-2)
•    The Colonels later took the lead (3-2) on a RBI single to left by Jada McLeod, scoring Makayla Mathis 
•    South evened things back up the next half inning as Edy Gavin – who had doubled and advanced on a wild pitch – scored from third on a sacrifice fly to left by Sydney Stewart
•    EKU had a chance to go back out in front in the bottom of the fifth as Drafton doubled and advanced to third on an error, but Ryley Harrison (1-0) entered in relief and retired Lilly Davis with a strikeout to end the threat
•    South Alabama quickly took advantage of the missed opportunity by the Colonels as Branstetter led off the sixth with a solo shot to center to put South back on top (4-3)
•    Eastern Kentucky placed the tying run aboard in the sixth, 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

Key Stats
•    Branstetter reached base twice with single and a hit-by-pitch, scored twice and also drove in a run
•    Kayden Dunn also reached base safely two time with a pair of walks, and Stagner drove in a pair with her home run
•    Drafton was the lone Colonel to record a multi-hit game as she had a double and a home run, while driving in two of EKU's three runs in the contest
•    Harrison tossed two-and one-third innings of one-hit relief, striking out four

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the third in the all-time series between the two programs
•    The two-run home run by Stagner marked the first hit of her Jaguar career
•    The fourth-inning HBP for Branstetter moved her into a tie with Amanda Minahan (21, 2014-17) and Christin Crocker (21, 2009-12) for fourth on the list
•    Six starters in the lineup for the Jaguars made their Jaguar debuts – E. Gavin (LF), Stagner (SS), Stewart (2B), Gracie Dees (RF), Dunn (1B), and Caitlyn Heyl (P)

GAME TWO – SOUTH ALABAMA 2, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 0
Key Moments
•    South Alabama (2-0) jumped out to an early lead as Wine doubled and came around to score the first run if the game after a pair of wild pitches, and Dunn plated another run with a RBI double to left center in the top of the first
•    SELA (0-2) threatened to tie the game up in its half of the third, but with a runner at second and two away, Presley Lively robbed a potential two-run home run off the bat of Addison Contorno to end the inning
•    The Lions placed a pair of runners on in both the fourth and sixth innings, and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Harrison was able to slam the door each time

Key Stats
•    Dees had a double and a walk, while scoring one of South Alabama's two runs in the contest
•    Harrison (2-0) tossed a complete-game, shutout recording four strikeouts and scattering six base runners – four hits and two walks
•    Harrison also induced 10 ground-ball outs in the win    

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the 17th in the all-time series as South improved to 14-3 in the all-time series
•    With her walk, Branstetter extended her reached-base safely streak to 16 games dating back to last season
•    The shutout was the fifth shutout of Harrison's Jaguar career and the junior's 16th career complete game
•    Harrison has now started 31 games in her career at South, which is tied with Allie Hughen (2020-22) for 10th-most in program history

Up Next
•    South Alabama will continue play at the 23rd Annual NFCA Leadoff Classic on Saturday when it takes on Rutgers at 11 a.m. (CT).

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