Official Box Score
MOBILE, Ala. -- For the second straight game, South Alabama established a new season high for home runs, but a five-run seventh inning lifted Florida Atlantic to a 13-9 victory over the Jaguars Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for USA and evened the Sun Belt Conference series at one game apiece.
The Jaguars (18-12, 6-5 SBC) hit five home runs, including back-to-back shots in both the second and sixth innings, and recorded 10 hits. The long-ball total was one more than the four registered last night off Owl pitching, giving USA a total of nine in the last two contests.
But one inning undid all the Jaguar efforts. Trailing 9-8 after allowing three runs in the sixth, Florida Atlantic (17-11, 7-5) answered with five runs in the seventh, only three of them earned, to secure the win. Travis Johnson started the inning as the third USA pitcher and gave up a leadoff walk and single to right. Troy Bubley, the No. 9 hitter, chased Johnson with one of his three hits on the day, tying the game at 9. Lance Baxter tried to put out the fire, but was greeted with an RBI single and run-scoring double around an out, allowing the Owls to grab an 11-9 lead. Two more runs scored when USA shortstop Bunky Kateon threw an inning-ending ground ball past first.
South Alabama had taken its lead in the sixth when David Doss and Ryne Jernigan hit the second set of consecutive homers in the contest. In the second, Ryan Bohanan and Ryan McCrory led off with back-to-back shots and Chris Overstreet added a two-run blast to center as part of a five-run outburst that made the score 6-2 after two. The three home runs in the inning were the most this season, while USA matched one other back-to-back home run effort, March 8 vs. Notre Dame.
"They are a very good hitting club and I give them all the credit," Head Coach Steve Kittrell said. "But we walked too many people and our bullpen wasn't sharp today. We gave up too many runs early but we battled back twice."
Bohanan was the only Jaguar with more than one hit, getting two in his four at-bats, while Doss drove in four runs with a hit and a pair of sacrifice flies.
Both starters were ineffective during the contest, but neither got a decision. USA's Brandon Sage lasted just two innings, allowing five runs (four earned) and six hits, while Owl Mike Gipson surrendered nine runs (eight earned) in 5.2 innings. But Adam Morrison (2-1) picked up the slack in relief, retiring 10 of the 11 Jaguars he faced. His only blemish was a two-out single to Bohanan in the bottom of the ninth.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. with the deciding game. Chris LaGrow is slated to pitch for South Alabama, while Jeff Beliveau counters for FAU.
