Official Box Score

JACKSON, Miss. --  Ryne Jernigan went 4-for-6 with four runs batted in and Ryan Bohanan also drove in four runs to power South Alabama to an 18-6 victory over Jackson State Tuesday afternoon at the JSU Baseball Field. The Jaguars pounded out a season-high 14 hits enroute to their highest run total of the year.

Derek Hanks (1-0) pitched five full innings in his South Alabama debut, allowing one earned run (three total) and only three hits. Luke Grissett tossed three innings of relief, also surrendering only a single run. Three of the Tigers’ six runs were unearned as the Jaguars committed four errors in the contest.

After falling behind 1-0 when two first-inning errors led to a Jackson State run, South Alabama (3-1) quickly took the lead. Jernigan doubled to right center before Jake Overstreet was hit by a pitch. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Kateon singled to center to bring them home.

A Bohanan sacrifice fly to right, albeit on a running catch at the wall by the right fielder, brought home  Clint Toomey in the third, before Kateon played a role in two more runs in the fourth. He started things with a one-out walk, coming home on Kruml’s double. Davis followed with a single to make the score 5-2.

David Doss walked and scored in the fifth for a 6-2 lead before the Jaguars broke the game open with eight runs in the sixth. The big blows were a bases-loaded double by Bohanan, followed by a double down the left field line by Jernigan.

The Jaguars added four in the ninth, although the Tigers posted three runs (two unearned) in their last at-bat.

“It wasn’t the prettiest win, but we will take it,” Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. “I was pleased that (Derek) Hanks got out there and threw well.”

The Jags return to the road tomorrow night to face Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss., beginning at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard locally on WNSP-FM.