Official Box Score
MOBILE, Ala. -- Western Kentucky jumped out to a 6-0 lead after four innings, then got out of a pair of late-inning jams to even their Sun Belt Conference baseball series with South Alabama, 8-5, Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field. Ryne Jernigan had a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Jaguars, who had a three-game winning streak halted.
Unlike the series opener last night, when USA opened the scoring, Western Kentucky built a 2-0 lead in the first and added four runs in the fifth. The first three Hilltoppers reached base safely on a walk and two singles, leading to the first run, while the second came home on a wild pitch by starter and loser Eric Gonzalez (3-1).
Four straight batters reached safely to start the WKU fifth. A hit-batsman, walk and single loaded the bases for Jake Wills, who hit a 2-2 pitch into left field for a 4-0 lead. After a groundout and strikeout, two more runs scored when Drew Morgan singled to right field.
South Alabama (10-6, 1-1) cut the deficit in half with three runs in the sixth. David Doss and Ryan Bohanan led off with singles before Jerningan doubled to left for the first run. Bohanan came home on the first of two sacrifice fly by Chris Davis, while Jernigan made the score 6-3 when he scored on a groundout.
A leadoff home run in the seventh by Wade Gaynor of Western Kentucky, and a two-out double by Matt Hightower in the eighth made the score 8-3, but South Alabama tried to rally. One inning after leaving runners at second and third with two outs, the Jaguars loaded the bases on three straight walks to start the eighth. Ryan McCrory singled to center field for two runs, chasing the WKU pitcher Ben Paxton. After an error loaded the bases again, Kruml struck out, and Clint Toomey grounded into a double play, called automatically when Jaguar runner Jake Overstreet overslid second base, leaving the score 8-5.
Rye Davis, the last of five Hilltopper pitchers, closed the door on USA in the ninth to pick up his first save. Starter Matt Ridings improved to 4-0 on the season by scattering six hits over 6.2 innings. He struck out 10 Jaguars during the day, while walking only one.
"This is a disappointing loss," Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. "Ridings threw a great game, but when we had our chances late in the game, we didn't capitalize. We struck out way too much today, too. Now, we have to learn from our mistakes and get ready for tomorrow."
The Jaguars had eight hits and benefitted from seven walks and four hit-batsmen, but left 10 runners stranded on base. Meanwhile Western Kentucky pounded out 10 hits against four Jaguar pitchers.
The rubber game of the weekend series takes place Sunday at 1 p.m.
