Box Score (PDF)

LAFAYETTE, La. – Louisiana right-hander Nick Lee struck out a career-high 10 batters to lead the Cajuns to a 2-1 win over No. 27 University of South Alabama baseball Friday at Russo Park.

Lee (1-0) allowed one run on one hit in eight innings while striking out 10 in eight innings pitched to earn the win.

South Alabama will return to action Saturday when it faces Louisiana in game two at 2 p.m. at Russo Park. 

GAME FACTS
- USA threatened when it put runners at the corners with one out in the top of the second, but failed to push across a run. Wells Davis drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a fielder's choice off the bat of Deyvid Silva and moved to third when UL third baseman Jonathan Windham's throw to second sailed wide of the bag and into shallow center field. But UL right-hander Nick Lee rolled a 1-6-3 double play off the bat of Paul Russo to escape the jam and preserve a scoreless tie. 
- Louisiana scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third inning. Gavin Bourgeois drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a two-out double to right-center field by Kennon Fontenot for a 1-0 Cajun lead. 
- UL doubled its lead in the bottom of the fourth. The Cajuns put runners at the corners with one out in the inning after consecutive one-out singles by Windham and Monroe Moll. A groundout to shortstop by Kole McKinnon allowed Bourgeois to score and double the Cajun lead at 2-0. 
- USA recorded its first run and hit of the game in the top of the seventh inning. Brendan Donovan reached on a hit by pitch with two outs, advanced to second on a wild pitch from Lee and scored on an RBI single to right-center field by Davis to cut the UL lead in half at 2-1.
- The Jags put the tying run on base with no outs in the top of the ninth when Dylan Hardy drew a leadoff walk. A sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Carter Perkins moved Hardy to second with one out. A groundout to shortstop advanced Hardy to third with two outs before Donovan reached on a two-out walk, representing the go-ahead run, to put runners at the corners. But UL left-hander Brock Batty induced a game-ending flyout to center field off the bat of Davis.

NOTES
- Lee retired 19 of the first 20 batters he faced in the game, including 16 in a row after issuing a one-out walk to Davis in the bottom of the second inning. A hit by pitch to Donovan with two outs in the top of the seventh snapped his streak of 16 consecutive batters retired.
- Lee struck out a career-high 10 batters and issued two walks, while allowing one run on one hit in eight innings pitched to earn his first win of the season. 
- UL left-hander Brock Batty issued one walk in one scoreless relief inning to record his first save of the year.
- Jaguar right-hander Tyler Carr (1-2) allowed two runs on six hits with four strikeouts against one walk in six innings pitched in the loss.
- Davis went 1-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate.
- Fontenot finished 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI to lead UL offensively.
- Jaguar right-hander Zach Greene struck out five without allowing a hit in two scoreless relief innings.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On Tyler Carr and Zach Greene:
"All you ask your pitchers to do any game is to keep you in position to win the ballgame. You don't ask them to win the game, every now and again they do, but it's a team sport. All you ask is for them to take care of their job and do the things they need to do to keep their team in position to win, and that's what our guys did tonight – both Tyler (Carr) and Zach Greene. I was very happy with the way both of them threw the baseball, competed and made their pitches. We were in a position to win the ballgame, it just didn't happen tonight."

- On UL right-hander Nick Lee:
"I thought we took too many fastball strikes. He has such a good changeup and a good downhill angle. We chased some pitches, and he made some really good pitches. You look at his line and it was outstanding. He's a Friday-night guy for a reason. He was on point tonight, and I think anything less than that and we may still be playing. But both teams played well and hard tonight. They (UL) just got that hit when they needed it, and we didn't get that big hit when we needed it. But I thought the energy and competitiveness from our guys was outstanding, and I'm proud of their effort. We didn't come out on top, but that kind of effort from our team and pitchers will win us a lot of baseball games once we come together offensively."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Saturday when it faces Louisiana in game two at 2 p.m. at Russo Park. 

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