South Alabama softball blanks No. 11 Alabama 2-0

South Alabama softball blanks No. 11 Alabama 2-0

Olivia Lackie pitched a 3-hit shutout as South Alabama dealt 11th-ranked Alabama its first defeat of the season on Saturday in the T-Mobile Crimson Classic at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Lackie (8-3) allowed just five baserunners on three singles, a walk and a hit batter in seven innings, striking out six for her 33rd career shutout. The win improved the Jaguars to 12-5 this season and also gave coach Becky Clark her 700th career victory.

Clark is now 700-383-2 in 20 seasons as a college head coach at South Alabama and the University of Mobile. She won 156 games in three seasons with the Rams before starting the Jaguars’ program from scratch in 2007, and has now won 544 games in 17 years at USA.

On Saturday, South Alabama got single runs in the second and third innings on RBI doubles by Odalys Cordova and Sasha Willems. Those were the only two hits of the day for the Jaguars against Alabama starter Jaala Torrence (6-1) and reliever Alea Johnson, who combined to walk two and strike out six for the host Crimson Tide (18-1).

South Alabama also won earlier in the day, beating Northern Iowa 11-3 behind Gabby Stagner’s grand slam. The Jaguars finish tournament play against No. 19 Arizona at 10 a.m. Sunday.

South Alabama has now beaten a ranked team on its home field two consecutive weekends. The Jaguars knocked off then-No. 17 South Carolina 5-2 at the Gamecock Invitational last Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

Alabama beat Arizona 2-1 on Friday night behind No. 1 starter Kayla Beaver, who went six innings to improve to 7-0 this season. The Crimson Tide faced Arizona again on Saturday afternoon to wrap up tournament play before beginning SEC action next Saturday vs. Florida.