Official Box Score
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.. -- It began as a near-mirror of last night with South Alabama starting strong and getting outstanding pitching to win its fourth straight game Saturday afternoon at Reese Smith Field. But unlike Friday, the Blue Raiders closed to within 6-4 in the eighth and brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth before Greg Johnson closed the door for his ninth save.
Ray Kruml, David Doss and Ryan McCrory each had two a pair of hits of the offensive side. But it was Kevin Nabors who stole the show early on. He allowed just four hits and struck out seven over six innings to improve to 5-3. He gave way to Lance Baxter, who retired azll three batters in the seventh before giving up four runs in the eighth.
For the second straight game, South Alabama (26-18, 11-9) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in its first at-bat. The Jaguars used three doubles to fuel the outburst, started when Kruml led off the game with a blooper inside the left field line. One out later, Doss found the gap in left center for first run, then Ryan Bohanan followed a fielder's choice by Ryne Jernigan with a double to left center that made the score 2-0. McCrory capped the frame with a single that plated Bohanan.
Kruml led off the fifth with a home run to increase the Jags' lead to 4-0, then Jake Overstreet's two-out single in the sixth scored Chris David, who reached on a fielder's choice. South Alabama's final run came in the seventh when Jernigan hit an 0-2 pitch over wall in left field.
Middle Tennessee, which actually outhit South Alabama 10-9, used four hits and a Jaguar error to plate four runs in the eighth off Baxter. A leadoff walk started the rally. After a strikeout, the Blue Raiders had back-to-back singles to load the bases. Justin Miller hit a ball down the third base line that Overstreet knocked down, but the first run scored as the ball trickled into foul territory. Overstreet was also involved on the next play as he cut off a ball in the hole at short. A quick bobble cost the Jaguars any chance of an inning-ending double play, but when his throw to first pulled Bohanan off the base at first, MT scored another run and had the bases loaded again.
A sacrifice fly cut the margin to 6-3, then a single up the middle added another run, chasing Baxter. Johnson came on to induce groundout to end the threat, although the Blue Raiders mounted another rally in the ninth.
Back-to-back two-out singles brought the tying run to the plate in Miller, but the shortstop grounded out to first to end the game.
"Kevin was outstanding on the mound today," Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. "We got some more timely hits and were able to work ourselves out of a couple of tight jams late in the game. Now we have a chance at a sweep tomorrow."
The series wraps up Sunday with a 1 p.m. start between the Jaguars and Blue Raiders. South Alabama will be looking for its second sweep in six Sun Belt Conference series this year. Radio coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. with the Kitrell's Korner pregame show.
