University of South Alabama Athletics

LAFAYETTE, La. | Ryley Harrison held top-seeded ULM to just two hits and struck out eight as fifth-seeded South Alabama captured a 3-1 victory Friday night in the semifinal round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship held at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.

The appearance in the championship game for the Jags (31-25) marks the program's sixth appearance and first since the 2021 season.

Up Next
•    South Alabama will take on third-seeded Texas State in the championship game on Saturday with first pitch set for 1:30 p.m. The game will be aired nationally on ESPN2.

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- Opening statement: "First of all, congratulations to ULM. That's a tough loss for either team to take. Coach Molly (Finchner) and her staff have done a great job this season and the job that her kids have done is pretty amazing. That was a hard-fought-game that could have gone either way. I have a lot of respect for her and what she's done over there with her program."

- On her team being prepared: "I'm not a big message person before the game. We recruit competitors and they want to be in these types of games. You don't have to do a whole lot of cheerleading for them. We go over scouting reports and go over what they can expect to see. After that, our players get all the credit. Tonight was such a team win. It was great to just see their fight and how hard they were playing, I'm just proud of how they represent our university. 

"That was a great game. We were in the semifinal game two years ago with Texas State, and it went the other way, so I'm happy for our kids to be able to see it bounce our way."

- On the key moments late: "I thought the sixth inning was a huge inning for us with runners on, and Ryley (Harrison) was able to work out of it. For her to go through that lineup and only allow two hits the entire night, I thought was pretty special. I thought our offense applied pressure for a majority of the game. There were one or two innings in there where we maybe slacked off a little bit, but it wasn't for lack of trying. (ULM) just got the best of us. I'm proud of our kids. They're competing and fighting, and that's what South Alabama softball is about."

Key Moments
•    In the bottom half of the first, Meagan Brown singled with one out through the left side of the infield, and Morgan Brown lined a single to right, but Gracie Dees executed a perfect throw to retire the runner at third for the second out of the inning – her third base runner thrown out this spring
•    One batter later, Ryley Harrison (17-12) looked as if she were going to get out of the inning, but the throw to first was low, allowing Mo. Brown to score from second (ULM, 1-0)
•    South Alabama got the run back the next half inning with runners at second and third after a walk by Lillie Stagner, a single by Ansleigh Smith and a sacrifice bunt by Caitlyn Gavin, pinch runner Edy Gavin was able to elude the tag and steal home to tie the game up (1-1)
•    The Jaguars took the lead their next time up as Olivia Branstetter greeted ULM reliever Skylar Waggoner with a double to left center, scoring pinch runner Gracie McDonald all the way from first, who was running for Stagner who had walked to begin the third
•    For the fourth straight inning, South Alabama got the leadoff batter aboard as C. Gavin drew a walk after working the count full who then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, and Brooklynn Bockhaus lined a single to second and moved into scoring position on the throw. With one out, Wine drove a ball to right for a sacrifice fly to right to score C. Gavin (USA, 3-1)
•    Brooklin Lippert drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth, snapping a string of 14-straight retired by Harrison, and Me. Brown walked, but Harrison was able to get back-to-back fly outs to work out of the jam
•    Harrison closed out the game strong as she retired all three batters she faced in the seventh inning

Key Stats
•    Branstetter reached base safely in three of her four plate appearances as she was had a double, walked and was hit by a pitch, while driving in a run
•    Stagner also reached base safely three times as she drew three walks
•    Harrison retired ULM in order five times, in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings
•    Harrison struck out side in the second inning, extending a streak of four-straight strikeouts 
•    The junior finished the night with 71 strikes on 97 pitches for a 73.2 strike percentage

Postgame Notes
•    The start time for the game was delayed for nearly two hours due to weather prior to first pitch
•    The meeting marked the eighth time South Alabama has faced ULM in the postseason
•    The Jaguars hold an 8-0 record in the postseason versus the Warhawks
•    With the win, South reaches the championship game for the sixth time in program history – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021
•    The Jags are 8-6 at Lamson Park in postseason play
•    Presley Lively has had a hit in 21 of her last 27 games and reached base safely in 24 of her last 28 
•    The hit by pitch was the 25th of Branstetter's career and she has now reached base in 12 of her last 14
•    In her next at-bat, Branstetter doubled as she has now had a hit in 13 of her last 16
•    With her walk, Stagner has reached base safely in nine of her last 14
•    After her walk in the third inning, Wine has reached base safely in 22 of her last 25, and had either a hit, a walk or driven in a run in 32 of her last 39 games
•    McDonald has scored 17 runs off the bench this spring as a pinch runner
•    Mambelli has reached base safely in 21 of her last 24, and 27 of her last 31, including 19 games with a hit

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