South Alabama secured a 5-1 win over UAB on Sunday, closing out the Mardi Gras Classic at Jaguar Field. The Jaguars overcame an early deficit to claim victory in their final game of the tournament.
Head coach Becky Clark commented on the team’s performance: “Today was a good team win. Syd (Scapin) got us off to a good start and Ryley (Harrison) closed the door. Rae (Regained Franka) was a boost for us off the bench to get the big inning going. This is a busy week for us, so we need to work on fixing the bad spots and keep the good stuff rolling.”
Junior right-handed pitcher Ryley Harrison also reflected on her outing: “I think Syd (Scapin) did a really good job, she pitched exceptionally well yesterday, and I feel that she carried that into today’s game. As a team, we fought today. We had come out slow the first two days (of the tournament), but we came out much better today. Knowing my offense had my back really helped me come out strong in the circle. I trusted my work in the bull pen and just worked on hitting my spots, and that led to me being successful today.”
Harrison noted Scapin’s progress as well: “Her outing last night gave her a ton of confidence. She’s a great pitcher and has great spin and speed. With the spin that she has, I believe she can become a dominant type pitcher. I’ve really scene her grow as a pitcher, and she has really started to be more confident in the circle.”
The game saw UAB take an early lead after an error allowed Zalyn Tucker to score in the third inning. South Alabama responded with key plays including Kara Wine’s home run in the fourth inning—her first collegiate homer—and Lillie Stagner’s two-run single during a four-run fifth inning.
Ryley Harrison earned her third win of the season by pitching 3.1 innings in relief without allowing any runs or walks while striking out three batters; Sydney Scapin started for South Alabama, giving up only three hits and one unearned run with three strikeouts.
Presley Lively continued her consistent form with another hit, extending her streak of reaching base safely this spring to every game played so far. Lively has walked seven times in her last eight games and scored runs frequently from her leadoff spot.
Bransteter recorded two hits for her second multi-hit game this season, bringing her career total close to entering South Alabama’s top 25 list for multi-hit games.
Stagner contributed with two RBIs for her third multi-RBI performance this year while also maintaining regular hitting throughout most games this season.
With this result, South Alabama improved its record against UAB to 15-4 all-time and will next play LSU away before hosting McNeese State later in what is expected to be a busy week.
For further updates about South Alabama Softball, fans can follow @SouthAlabamaSB on Twitter or visit usajaguars.com.
