MOBILE, Ala. – After leading South Alabama to a conference road-series sweep and not allowing an earned run in any of her four appearances, Ryley Harrison earned a pair of honors for her performance in the circle as she was selected as Softball America's Pitcher of the Week, and was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday as announced by the organization and league office, respectfully.

The honor is the first national recognition for the Fairhope, Ala., native and the first by a Jaguar since Olivia Lackie was named the Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week on March 9, 2021. Along with Lackie, Harrison is just the third South Alabama player in program history to earn a national weekly accolade, joining Devin Brown, who was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 22, 2016. 

The SBC Pitcher of the week honor marks the second of the season for Harrison and third of her Jaguar career. In addition to Harrison's selections this week and following the opening weekend of the season, South Alabama (23-15, 7-2 SBC) has had three selections earn weekly league accolades this spring as Kara Wine was named the player of the week on March 17.

The selection also marks the 42nd time in which the program has had a pitcher earn the award, and the 68th time that a Jaguar has earned either a player or pitcher of the weekly honor.

Harrison was outstanding in all four of her appearances this past week as the Jags posted a 3-1 record.  In her four outings, Harrison did not allow an earned run, surrendering just an unearned run at Auburn on Wednesday, and scattered 10 hits, while striking out 13 in her 16 innings of work in the circle. Facing two high-powered offenses in Auburn and JMU, Harrison held both squads to a combined .172 batting average. 

On Wednesday, Harrison tossed three innings of relief, striking out two batters and allowing just an unearned run, while she helped the Jags stay within striking distance of the Tigers.

Harrison was even better in the series at James Madison as she played a part in all three victories. The Jag right-hander struck out 11 in the series, held the Dukes scoreless and to a .130 batting average, as JMU entered the weekend with a .322 batting average and averaging nearly five runs a game. Harrison tossed a complete-game shutout in the opener and then picked up saves in games two and three of the series.

In the opener, Harrison allowed just two hits and struck out nine in her seven innings of work. James Madison had a pair of scoring opportunities in its half of the second and third innings, but with runners in scoring position in each of those frames, Harrison ended the second with a strikeout and then a foul out to right. The Dukes threatened to break up the shutout in the seventh after a two-out double and a wild pitch put the runner at third, but Harrison recorded back-to-back strikeouts, her eighth and ninth of the contest to pick up her fourth shutout of the season and the eighth of her career.

With South holding a two-run lead in game two of the doubleheader, Harrison entered in relief and tossed three innings of scoreless relief, allowing just three hits, and the only walk issued was an intentional free pass. The Dukes threatened to tie the game up or retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth frame loading the bases with back-to-back singles and an intentional walk to Kendra Lewis, but Harrison was able to get an out at home on a ground ball fielder's choice to Branstetter at third and then a ground out to short to end the inning. Harrison later tossed a 1-2-3 seventh and finished off the game with a strike out looking of Lewis – who entered the weekend leading the Sun Belt in batting – her second of the inning, and give her her second save of the season.

On Sunday, Harrison again came out of the pen and was stellar, limiting JMU to just one hit in her three innings of work. In the win, Harrison combined with Jag starter Tori Miller to hold JMU's offense to 1-for-12 hitting with runners on base and 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Harrison (12-6, 3 SV) ranks in the Top 10 in the league in earned run average (second – 2.22), innings pitched (third – 119.2), strikeouts (third – 110), strikeouts looking (fourth – 25), wins (fourth), opposing batting average (T-seventh – .242), and is tied for the league lead in saves.

South Alabama will welcome Texas State to Mobile for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series later this week with game one set for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

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