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MOBILE, Ala. – No. 21 Louisiana-Lafayette scored four runs in the top of the first inning en route to a 6-3 series-clinching win over No. 23 University of South Alabama baseball Sunday at Stanky Field.

ULL (33-19, 18-9 SBC) jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first inning on just one hit. Hunter Kasuls reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the game, and moved to second on a one-out walk by Kyle Clement. Stefan Trosclair then reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out before Brenn Conrad delivered a two-run single through the right side of the infield to score Kasuls and Clement for a 2-0 ULL lead. A one-out walk by Joe Robbins loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. Kennon Fontenot then drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Trosclair and extend the Cajun advantage to 3-0. Nick Thurman followed with a sacrifice fly to right-center field to score Conrad for a 4-0 lead.

The Cajuns extended their lead to 5-0 in the top of the second when Conrad singled to right-center field with two outs, stole second and scored on a two-out double down the left field line by Trosclair later in the inning.

USA (37-16, 20-7 SBC) loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, and pushed across one run to cut its deficit to four. Brendan Donovan led off the inning with a single to right field, and moved to second on a wild pitch from Guillory. Jared Barnes followed with a single through the right side to put runners at the corners before a walk by Danny Martinez loaded the bases. Ben Gann then delivered an RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Donovan with the first Jaguar run of the game.

South Alabama added two runs in the bottom of the eighth to cut its deficit to two runs. Cole Billingsley led off the inning with a single to right field, and Drew LaBounty followed with a walk. A flyout to right field by Carter Perkins allowed Billingsley to tag from second and put runners at the corners with one out. Donovan followed with a walk to load the bases with one out. A wild pitch from Cajun right-hander Jevin Huval allowed Billingsley to score and cut the ULL lead to 5-2. Barnes then grounded out to third which scored LaBounty and cut the Cajun lead to 5-3.

ULL responded with the game's final run in the top of the ninth /Alex Pinero led off the inning with a single back up the middle, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kasuls. Steven Sensley followed with a pinch-hit RBI double down the right field line to double the Cajun lead to 6-3.

Harris (2-0) allowed two runs on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 relief innings to earn his second win of the season. Eric Carter pitched a perfect ninth inning, and struck out all three batters he faced to earn his third save of the year. Jaguar right-hander Austin Bembnowski (6-2) allowed four runs on one hit with three walks in one-third of an inning in the loss.

Gann and Barnes each finished 1-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Clement went 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Cajuns offensively.

"Austin Bembnowski has been good for us all year," USA assistant coach Alan Luckie said. "It just wasn't his day today, and it put us behind the eight ball. Then they (Louisiana-Lafayette) had a good pitcher on the mound which makes it really difficult. We don't have a lot of power, and it's hard for us to come back from a big deficit. The effort was there for sure; our kids competed for all 27 outs and tried to come back and get it done. We had a shot there in the eighth inning, and just didn't get the big hit."

South Alabama will return to action next week when it travels to Troy, Ala., for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Troy to close the regular season.

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).