Official Box Score
MOBILE, Ala. -- Ryne Jernigan and Jake Overstreet each homered and Miles Ethridge pitched 3.1 solid innings of relief to lead South Alabama to an 8-7 victory over Arkansas State Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field. The win gives the Jaguars their first three-game sweep of a Sun Belt Conference opponent since April 21-23, 2006 at Middle Tennessee.
The Jaguars had 12 hits in the game, led by four different players with two each, including Jernigan and Overstreet. Russell Harben doubled and tripled, while Ray Kruml had a pair of bunt singles.
For the second straight game, South Alabama (16-12, 5-4 SBC) fell behind in the top of the first. A walk and a double by the Indians set up Drew Benes' two-run single up the middle.
But the Jaguars tied the game with a pair of runs in their half of the inning when Jernigan homered to left center, driving in Clint Toomey, who had singled.
ASU (14-13, 5-7) opened a 4-2 lead in the third when Derrick Coleman hit a two-run home run, but USA scored six unanswered runs over the next three innings to open an 8-4 advantage.
The first score came when Ryan Bohanan grounded out to the pitcher in the third, scoring David Doss, while the Jaguars tied the game at 4 on a home run to straight-away centerfield by Overstreet.
Four runs in the fifth, all gained with two outs, proved to be the difference in the game. Sean Laird started the rally with a walk before Bohanan singled up the middle. However, Coleman, the Indian's centerfielder, overran the ball, allowing each runner to take an extra base and give USA a 5-4 lead. Bunky Kateon singled to center to make the score 6-4 before Harben's triple added another run. The final tally came when Overstreet laid down a perfect bunt to third for an infield hit.
Chris LaGrow, who is still on a pitch count after some early season tightness in his arm, started the contest and went four innings, allowing four runs on four hits. He equalled his season high of five strikeouts, while walking just two. Ethridge (2-0) came on in the fifth and retired 10 of the 14 batters he faced, finally tiring in the eighth when allowed a two-run home run to Ryan Hudgins that made the score 8-6.
Greg Johnson earned his sixth save of the season by gaining the final five outs, but not before the Indians capitalized on a three-base error by Kruml in the ninth. After the dropped fly ball to lead off the frame, a single put the tying run on first, but a pair of strikeouts and a baserunning error got the Jaguars out of the jam.
"I am really proud of our ballclub this weekend," Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. "We had a lot of energy today and have been playing much better baseball the last week. Miles gave us a chance to come back for the win and we swung the bats when we needed to. We were fortunate to win a close game."
South Alabama improved to 4-1 this year in one-run games with their fifth victory in six games. The Jaguars continue their seven-game homestand Tuesday night when Auburn comes to Stanky Field for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
