Box score
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Brent Mitchell delivered an eventual game-winning, two-run single in the top of the 10th inning to lead No. 24 University of South Alabama baseball to a 3-1 extra-inning win over Southern Mississippi Tuesday at Pete Taylor Park.
After Southern Mississippi (9-15) rallied to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Jaguars loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 10th. Jordan Patterson reached on an error by USM shortstop Michael Sterling to lead off the inning, and Nolan Earley followed with a single to center field. A passed ball put two Jags in scoring position before Dustin Dalken drew a walk to load the bases.
Mitchell fell behind in the count then worked it to 2-2 before drilling a slider from Golden Eagle right-hander Daniel Wineski into left field to score Patterson and Earley and give the Jags a two-run lead.
“That was an outstanding ending to a good ballgame,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “We’ve been using (Brent) Mitchell late off the bench, when he doesn’t start, when defense matters the most. Tonight not only did he do a great job defensively, but offensively as well. He’s just an unbelievable kid, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Jaguar right-hander Matt Bell tossed six shutout innings, and allowed just three hits while striking out three and issuing one walk without factoring in the decision. Dylan Stamey allowed two hits in two shutout innings, and struck out four and walked one.
Kyle Bartsch (3-0) allowed a run on two hits and struck out one to earn his third win of the season, while James Traylor struck out three, issued one walk and allowed just one hit in one shutout inning to record his first save of the year.
“Matt Bell was really good,” Calvi said. “They (Southern Miss) put the ball in play, and we played good defense behind him. (Dylan) Stamey was solid again for two innings, and did a nice job with four strikeouts. We went to (Kyle) Bartsch late; he’s our guy. He threw 44 pitches on Saturday, so he only had one shot to get it done and unfortunately he didn’t. But James Traylor did a nice job behind him. It was a team win tonight – a team pitching-staff win for sure.”
USA turned two inning-ending double plays within the first four innings of the game, which Bell used to record his longest career outing as a Jaguar.
A single by Whitt Dorsey, followed by a leadoff walk from Earley and single by Patterson, gave the Jags a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Earley moved from second to third on the play, but scored after USM center fielder Dillon Day mishandled the ball.
USM threatened in the bottom of the eighth with two runners in scoring position with two outs after a single by Chase Fowler, walk by Connor Barron and wild pitch from Stamey. But Stamey induced an inning-ending popup to left field off the bat of Dillon Day hold the Golden Eagles scoreless through eight innings.
Mason Robbins led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple to the right-center gap. Isaac Rodriguez then reached on a hit by pitch before Blake Brown served a single into right field to score Robbins and tie the game 1-1.
The Golden Eagles put the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the 10th after a one-out walk by pinch-hitter Travis Creel and single from Robbins. But Traylor answered with a strikeout of Rodriguez to end the game.
Dorsey went 3-for-4, and Jordan Patterson finished 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Mitchell had one hit and two RBI, while Cole Billingsley, Earley and Dalken had one hit apiece.
No. 24 South Alabama (22-4) will return to action this weekend when it travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Florida Atlantic.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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